Interlunar
by Lussuira
Summary: Things didn't go as planned when Atemu tried to enter Duat. Now he's on a mission to set things right, with a little help from an unexpected shadow. Puzzleshipping!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do however own a few characters, but two of them aren't really that important. One however will be a main player, and she is named Beithwal. You'll be introduced to her in this chapter.

A/N: Hello internet! Hows it hanging? Okay so, here goes my first go on this fanfiction. Now I'm thinking that I may seem to be jumping all over the place with explaining stuff and Im sorry if I confuse you guys :U. I don't mean to. Also as a side note Im using the Japanese names and the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh because I can and I like it better than the 4kids version. If you have questions about who is who don't be hesitant to ask. ANYWAYS introduction time. Welcome to Interlunar. It's basically a continuation of after the Ceremonial Duel between Atemu and Yuugi, with one slight modification. The story is based around Ancient Egyptian mythology (been doing lots of reading on that stuff. Hurrr) but ive also added in my own doo da. So explanations as to what everything means and such will be posted after the story. Please note that the rating is subject to change because well… I can. Anyways, I'm going to stop typing utter nonsense and let you guys read the story. Let me know what you think! Cheers~

**INTERLUNAR**

_**-The End is Just the Beginning**_

"It's alright aibou."

Yuugi Motou looked up from his kneeling position to stare into the crimson eyes of his other half. The mighty Pharaoh Atemu was known for not betraying any emotion but right now, he could feel his façade start to slip. Yuugi always had this uncanny ability to be able to melt Atemu's mask whenever he looked at him with those majestic purple orbs. He was stubborn to keep it in place though. If it cracked, then saying goodbye would be near impossible.

Lowering himself to his knees with Yuugi watching every movement, Atemu placed what he hoped was a consoling hand on his hikari. Yuugi raised both his hands to capture Atemu's inside their grasp. Squeezing tightly, looking away as tears stung his eyes, Yuugi said "I don't want you to go."

Atemu lowered his own gaze. "I know. But I have to do this."

"No!" The Pharaoh jumped at the fierce tone that had suddenly made itself prominent in the young boy's voice. Yuugi was always known as a soft and gentle soul, never one to raise his voice even when he talked to Otogi after the fire. In fact the only time Yuugi had ever shown any sort of anger was when the Sennen Puzzle had been stolen.

The soft pitter-patter of tears slapping the pavement echoed around the hollow chamber. "There has to be another way. You can't just… just… i-it's not..!" His voice was shaking so bad he couldn't get the words out. Atemu sighed, wishing that there was another way; that he could stay forever in the mortal world with Yuugi and everyone but, he knew that as long as he lived as a mortal, the Earth would forever be plagued by the Shadows.

It was his duty to die.

With him gone, the world could know the peace that had only ever been dreamed about. With his ultimate sacrifice, the dark games would seal themselves forever; never to break free again to play with the lives of mortals. Atemu tried to stand back up, knowing that if he stayed any longer, the chances of him actually being able to leave would slowly diminish until he could not make himself go at all, but Yuugi had clamped his hands firmly around his other self's and was showing no sign of ever letting go. A piece of Atemu shattered as he looked down at his aibou. Looking smaller than usual, his eyes downcast, Yuugi looked ready to snap. Not being able to resist, he leaned down to Yuugi and pulled him deep into a hug. Yuugi responded immediately, letting go of Atemu's hands so that he could wrap his arms around his other self's shoulders, squeezing the life out of him.

He had to do this; for Yuugi's sake. With him gone, Yuugi could have a normal life again. No more life and death situations, no more running about collecting items and definetly no more insane psychopaths trying to kill him. Atemu pried himself away from Yuugi, surprised to feel his arms go limp. This really was for the best. Turning away, he walked towards the door to the afterlife, keeping his eyes trained on the Eye of Horus so he would not see the other people in the room, feeling all their eyes on him watching, waiting to see what he will do. Atemu took a steadying breath, the steel cold look in his eyes not wavering in the slightest.

"My name is Atemu, son of Ahknemkata." The room shook with the power of his name. The Eye, split in two, pouring dust from the crack onto the floor as it slid open, revealing the other side. A blinding white light bounced into the room, shining only on Atemu, its wisps clinging tightly around his body as if desperate for him to come home. Squaring his shoulders, Atemu marched forward, paying no heed to the sudden cries of Yuugi and his friends. They had to understand…

This was for the best.

The closer he got to the entrance, the cooler it became. A wind picked up, blowing softly into the Pharaoh's face. It seeped into his skin, changing his outward appearance and modifying it to be what it once was thousands of years ago. The gold that now adorned his wrists, ankles, neck, ears and forehead seemed to glitter with their own light. Human shapes appeared in the white glow and the sound of laughter floated to Atemu's ears. Mana smiled out at him from the light, reaching out one of her hands towards him. Tears stung the back of his eyes, but he refused to shed them even now, at the end of everything.

_Goodbye, aibou…_

Reaching his hand forward, he clasped the offered one from Mana…

And was frozen solid.

Icy fingers licked its way up his arm, tensing the muscles into place and worked its way quickly down the rest of his body. The white light dimmed to a more sinister colour and invaded the room, coating the walls with its inky shade. Mana disappeared from view completely, along with the other figures behind her which were all the people Atemu used to know once upon a time. A strong gust of wind blew his still form to the edge of the staircase, nearly knocking him over but not nearly. All he could do was watch the scene play out before him.

The door to the afterlife remained open, but what was happening inside it was a different story. Already dimmed down a bit, the light became a ruby red colour mixed with purple wisps of shadow. The two colours twisted together in a circular pattern slowly, never blending together. The colours sunk deeper into the cavern behind the door, revealing a long endless tunnel with walls of swirling red and purple. One of the swirls of mist detached itself from the walls and glided over to Atemu. It circled him once, nuzzling him like a lost puppy that had just found its owner and then it came to a stop directly in front of him then started expanding, taking on the silhouette of a human. Two more wisps of purple swirled into the room, also taking on a human shape. The one that was directly in front of Atemu refined its features slowly, like sandpaper scraping away the unwanted wood. It transformed into a woman, her hair black and as long as she was tall. Green eyes flashed with intelligence in the darkness, accentuated by her dark skin. Cream robes complimented her figure, hugging her in all the right places, decorated with simple Egyptian text along the bottom of the hem. A simple arm cuff that looked like a snake completed her outfit.

She smiled at Atemu, bowing before him. "My pharaoh." She said in greeting. Atemu could do nothing but glare at her, silently asking for an explanation. Shadows gathered at his feet, sensing the growing annoyance welling within their Master. The girl watched this with interest, a gentle smile playing on her lips. When she made no further address, Atemu turned his attention to the other two shapes that were appearing behind her.

They appeared to be twins for they looked the same but were in some ways not the same. One was a man and the other was a woman. Both were dark skinned, but the boy had black short hair and the woman had waist length blond hair. Her eyes were the colour of the Nile on a bright summer's day and on the lid of her eyes was a thick black line that swooped up away from the edge of her lid to her hair line. On her head was a band made of gold and light golden fur joining in with her hair. She had a black short toga that was plain to accentuate the rest of her. Her male counterpart had milky iris' that seemed to almost be the same colour as the whites that surrounded them. He had a crown of feathers on his head and a red wrap around skirt on his waist, leaving his toned chest exposed to the world. The two seemed to be arguing over something but Atemu couldn't hear what they were saying because they weren;t arguing with words but with motions.

Straightening up suddenly, the girl in front of Atemu turned around to address the other two. "Smettila! Mantenete il vostro litigi in casa. Siamo qui a nome di tuo padre, ti ricordi?" The two stopped what they were doing to hear her words. They both bowed low but not before Atemu saw the flash of fear that entered their eyes. Whatever the girl had said had put the two in their place. She turned back to the pharaoh, smiling, and the picture of innocence. "That's better. Sorry about that. Awyr and Maji don't know how to show respect sometimes." Atemu didn't show any indication that he was listening, instead trying to figure out how to defreeze himself. The girl tilted her head as if listening to him. Then almost as if a thought dawned on her, she snapped her fingers. Instantly, feeling came back into Atemu and he could move his arms and body freely. Shaking out his stiff arm, he glared at the girl.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

She scoffed. "Straight to the point I see, nice and thorough. Well who would want to waste time with unwanted words but such pleasantries are rare in this day and age. I remember the good old days when-"

She suddenly stopped rambling on as though someone had put a halt to her thinking. Clearing her throat loudly, she turned slightly toward the two others. "Anyways, back to answering your question. The name's Beithwal but most just call me Beri." She jerked her thumb behind her indicating the other two. "He is Awyr and she is Maji. We are all guiding spirits for souls wishing to enter Duat."

Atemu nodded in understanding. He took a few steps forward, stopped then looked back into the room. He couldn't resist one last look at everyone; especially Yuugi. But when he looked he saw that everyone was frozen just as he was but something was different. There was an eerie chill to the air, almost as if the little square room had been transformed into a ghost town. Shocked at this sudden change, the pharoah immideiatly moved to stand beside Yuugi, to see what had been done to him. He kneeled down to his still form, looking closely into his violet eyes.

"You don't want to do that…" Beri said in a small voice but her warning fell on deaf ears. He stared at those vibrant eyes, noticing that the life had been frozen; almost like his soul had been trapped deep within a box and now all that was left was a shell. Atemu gaped at the change, anger gnawing away inside him threatening to break loose. Composing himself, he faced the three guides, his voice even but laced with acid.

"What have you down to aibou?" He demanded. Beri took a step back, hands held up in front of her chest as if the motion could calm him down.

"Nothing. It-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" The Shadows at his feet flared up in front of him due to his anger, eager to start causing chaos. Beri watched his outburst with a subdued expression. She noticeably swallowed, moving closer the Pharaoh.

"Look, he's just frozen in time. Much like these other mortals." She gestured to the others in the room. They were all frozen just like Yuugi, but to Atemu it didn't matter. It just seemed so wrong to see his vibrant partner so unnaturally still. He closed his eyes, scrunching his brow in frustration.

"Reverse it."

Beri shook her head. "Can't do that."

Atemu's eyes popped open, crimson orbs flashing. "Can't or won't?"

The spirit guide tilted her head as if considering the possibility. "Both."

"And why is that?"

"I don't have time to fully explain okay?" She snapped. Atemu glared at her, the shadows moving closer to him.

"You've frozen everything in the room; you have all the time in the world."

"Ugh! Fine you know what?" Her wrist moved in front of her face, flicking her hand out toward the Pharaoh. Icy tendrils licked up the side of his arm and into his body, freezing him in place once again. Beri smiled triumphantly. "Much better. Now I can do my job without you rudely interrupting." Struggling against the stiffness in his muscles, he glared maliciously at her, mentally kicking himself for being stuck in this situation again.

"We have come for a specific purpose dear Pharaoh." She started walking around him slowly in circles, and continued talking. "You believe that if you sacrifice your soul, that the Dark Games would be locked along with your soul inside Duat, safe and sound, but what you don't know is that only works when you have your entire identity known."

Atemu scoffed. _I know everything there is to know about myself, simpleton_, he thought sourly. Beri stopped walking, turning her green eyes on him.

"You'd think that wouldn't you?"

Atemu blinked. _Did you just read my mind?_

She sighed, continuing with her walking. "Yes I can read your mind but that's beside the point. You don't have all your memories yet. You have your memories as a pharaoh in Egypt which was a good stepping stone. But-" at this point she was directly in front of him again. She turned her body toward him, crouching low to meet him face to face. "Your past is still shrouded in mystery." He raised a mental eyebrow. "The Ancient Egyptian's used to believe in reincarnation. Your soul," she poked him in the chest, "is a particularly old one.

"If you want to enter Duat and take with you the Dark Games you must first unravel the truth of your past life. Only then can you enter and restore balance to the world." He didn't know if what she was saying was true. Spirits were known to cause havoc; years of solitude would drive anyone crazy so it makes sense that once free spirits would be seeking some thrills. It could be that these spirits were in the mood to fuck up some potential spirits peace in order to provide entertainment. Atemu couldn't prove if what she was saying was true at the moment, so he just played along.

_And how exactly do you propose I do that._

"Normally, you would be able to go to any spiritual medium in the mortal world and have them read your chakras no problem, but with you, since you're a… special case, you would have to go to a specific reader."

_If you know I have to go to a certain reader because I'm a special case, then why not tell me who I am right now? Why should I have to go through some long process when you have all the answers?_

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't tell you. If I just told you the truth then you would be flooded with too many memories at once and your head would explode. As a spirit, you would be sent to oblivion, never to be reincarnated again, doomed to live out your worst nightmares."

He still didn't trust her. Going silent in his mind, he turned inward hoping that he would be able to block off Beithwal's intrusion. If he went through those doors right now, and what she said was true, then everything he had fought for – the future, security, his aibou – it would all be undone. He would be damned if he did anything to cause his aibou pain. With him gone and the Shadows still free, there would be no way of controlling them, their master locked away then they would lash out at the world. No one would be safe. Especially not Yuugi.

"Do you understand?"

What could be the harm in staying a while? Only until he knew if this woman was lying. Atemu stared long and hard at her, seeing if there would be some crack in her face showing that she was lying. He couldn't see anything except sheer boredom plastered on.

_Yes I do._

She rubbed her hands together."Excellent. Now the fun can begin." As if that was a queue, Awyr and Maji moved from where they were standing and ghosted over to the still form of the pharaoh. They had been silent this entire time, not giving off any hint that they were present in the room. Each one simultaneously placed a hand on his shoulders, keeping him routed to the place. _Not like I can move anyways, _he thought sourly. "Now this may hurt a little." Reaching around with her right hand to her left arm, she plucked the jewel that was embedded in her snake armband. It was completely clear except there was a multitude of colours swirling inside, making the jewel glow with its own light. She leaned down at him again, holding the jewel up. Taking one of his hands, she flipped it so his palm was facing the ceiling. Slowly, Beri's fingers ghosted over his palm, small sparks of energy floating off her tips into Atemu's skin. Then, she pressed the jewel to his skin and almost immediately, hot liquid poured into his veins, seizing up his muscles. It raised his body temperature to the point where one could feel the heat radiate off his skin, like he was an earth bound sun. The ice that used to be present was melted away completely by this new sensation. Rainbow light leaked from between the jewel and his palm, making it so bright that Atemu saw dots. He could feel his skin tear open, but he felt no blood pour from the open wound. Instead, the sensation of something entering his skin took his place. It felt rather like one of those shots that Yuugi had to get at school, but a lot more painful. Only after the sensation passed that the light died down. Atemu had to blink a few times to clear his vision of dots to see again.

Beri was leaning over his hand, her face close to where the jewel now was; embedded deep within his flesh. There was still a gaping hole, perfectly round and covering most of his hand. Blowing softly, the skin healed itself up completely, enclosing the jewel within. Straightening up, Beri gave him a quick smile. Turning her attention to the other two, she waved them off. Obediently, they backed off slinking back to the portal to Duat and giving each other a meaningful glance. Once they had let go, Atemu went limp and fell to the ground. Now that the ice was gone, he could actually move. He tried to lift himself up but found that a hot fire would burn in whatever muscle he was using.

"Oh ya, I should have probably told you, you might hurt for a few days so I recommend lots of rest in bed."

Atemu shot her a glare, working his jaw to see if he could speak. When only a slight bit of pain shot up his neck he spoke. "What did you… do to me?

"Oh it's nothing serious. Just you are now-" A large tremble shut her up. Shaking slightly on the spot, she threw a question at the other two. "What the bloody hell was that?" Maji looked up to the ceiling as particles of dust rained onto her face. Her eyes widened slightly. Moving as fast as lightning, she grabbed her brother's arm and jumped through the portal. Beri's jaw dropped and she ran after them, shaking her fist at the entrance.

"You ungrateful bastards! The minute I get my hands on you you're gonna wish that-" Another violent shake caused her to lose her balance. She fell backwards, landing on her backside, the air whooshing out of her. Chunks of rock dislodged themselves from the ceiling and fell right in front of Beithwal. She sat up, trying to get some breath back into her lungs, but only succeeded in filling them with dust. She coughed out what little air she had, turning her head so she could look at Atemu. He was still lying limp on the floor, all his energy useless without the use of his muscles. Hot pain was slowly working its way into his system, pulsating in strength. He closed his eyes against the pain, gritting his teeth together hard. A third and final shake came and went, but it caused more damage. It was the most violent one. It cracked the walls the floor and the ceiling, but no more rocks fell. Cracks traveled up the door to the afterlife, until it reached the solid gold Eye of Horus. It went around it, like some little kid with scissors were cutting out the shape. It snapped off and fell to the floor shattering on impact. The doors slowly started sliding shut, cutting off any hope Beithwal had to returning home. Lifting herself up, she sprinted toward the door. She was a meter or so away from the entrance before she tripped on one of the cracks on the floor. Falling flat on her face, she let out a little grunt and immediately started to get up.

With a mighty thud, the doors slid shut, blocking any person from walking through to the afterlife. Beri was still on the wrong side.

A/N: Ya I have Beri speak other languages, but it will be explained. As will other things. But later. Because I feel mean :P

Meanings:

Awyr: Welsh word meaning "Air"

Maji: Mandarin word meaning "Water"

Beithwal: Elven name from Jacqueline. Means "Protect"

Duat: Ancient Egyptian afterlife; often seen as a place similar to Egypt. The heart of the deceased was weighed by Anubis against the feather of truth. If the heart was too heavy, the soul would be devoured by the Devourer of the Condemned.

"Smettila! Mantenete il vostro litigi in casa. Siamo qui a nome di tuo padre, ti ricordi?" 'Stop it! Keep your sibling problems at home! We are here for a reason, remember?'


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! Belongs to someone who isn't me. Beri is mine however, so no stealing.

AN: Ya just as a future warning, chapters are long. I don't know why but I find I'm very wordy. Also chapters will be coming out at funny times because of two reasons. ONE: i dont write things in order. its called INSANITY. and Two: I go through INSANE editing processes. I write a bit at a time, then leave it alone for long periods, reread, edit repeat about two times then submit. Its a long process but it works. Mostly.

**Interlunar**

**Chapter 2: Wreckage**

**Warning: Coarse Language**

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Come on you fucking door! OPEN!" Another thump! resounded around the small chamber, followed by a growl from Beri. She cocked back her fist and brought it back to the metal door, as if flesh could overcome steel. "UGH! Why. Won't. You. Fucking. OPEN?" Each word was emphasized with another strike and with a loud thump! being the only answer to her question. After a bit she threw her hands up into the air, which had started to turn red and were starting to bruise. "Deus damno is Patefacio!" She slammed both her fists against the door with all her might, the force of it shaking the chamber. Atemu lifted himself up onto his elbows, giving the spirit a patronizing glare. He gasped as the pain became more intense, filling the edge of his vision with darkness. Blinking away the blackness, he took a deep breath ignoring the knife that sliced its way through his lungs. He let the air out, glad to see that some of the darkness had receded for the time being. Slowly working his jaw, he was about to ask what her deal was when another shake rattled the chamber.

"Oh snap." Beri breathed, almost making it impossible to hear. The rumble stayed for a while, detaching some parts of the ceiling. One was released right above her head and she rolled to the side, landing upright with her feet sprawled out. Atemu's head swiveled around to where Yuugi was, ignoring the pain that was crawling up his neck. He was still frozen. Turning his eyes towards the ceiling, he was relieved to see that no rocks were falling. Yet.

Almost as if to prove him wrong, a sonic boom emitted from the door to Duat, the shock wave blasting its way through the chamber. It smacked head on into Beri, sending her flying back, hitting Jounouchi who was standing frozen on the stairs. The two were sent tumbling down the stairs, the spirit guide landing square on Jounouchi's chest. She tried to get up but just fell down against the unconscious boy with a grunt of pain. Atemu himself got knocked back a few feet, almost colliding with the still form of Anzu, but the force wasn't as powerful when it hit him.

A wave of intense pain flashed through the Pharaoh's body, making the world go temporarily black around him. He gritted his teeth, fitting down the enticing tug of unconsciousness but the pain would not stop. It was constant; almost beating out a rhythm in time with Atemu's pulse. It's ambiance grew, becoming more and more frequent, all of it seeming to originate from the jewel in his hand. He fought hard to stay conscious but it was too much and before long he surrendered to sweet nothingness.

The last thing he remembered seeing was Yuugi's dim eyes blink.

Yuugi couldn't explain what had just happened. One moment, his other half was close enough for him to smell the exotic aroma that emitted off his body, then he was walking away and now, as the young boy blinked away his tears, he saw Atemu crumpled on the floor, right in front of Anzu.

His face was scrunched into a mask of pain, one emotion that was rarely seen on the proud Pharaoh's face. Yuugi moved towards his other half, hand out stretched as if he was trying to comfort him. He was expecting for his hand to go right through his body, but when he made contact with Atemu, he was surprised that his hand didn't pass through him.

In fact it encountered flesh.

Countless times, Yuugi had tried to reach out to him and every time his hand had fallen through. His other half had no problem resting a hand on his shoulder or giving him a hug or even picking him up when he fell, but Yuugi had never once been able to reciprocate the jester. He had always wondered what it would be like, how Atemu would feel under his touch, where his sensitive spots where and if he felt as warm as the sun he grew up Pharaoh's skin was smooth, almost velvet like and it felt hot to Yuugi. Pulling himself closer to his other half, the young boy moved Atemu's still form onto his lap. Resting one of his hands on his cheek, Yuugi looked closely at him. Sweat was trickling down his skin, as whatever that was causing him pain moved through his system. Yuugi bit his lip, wishing he could find a way to help. Thinking that maybe if he could wake Atemu, the pain would go away, he gently shook his unconscious partner.

"The other me?" He said softly. When that didn't seem to do anything, he tried again, shaking him a bit more forcefully, but still no response came. Pulling his eyebrows together in worry, he looked around the chamber seeing if someone else would help (and also wondering why it was that no one else was) when he saw down the stairs that pretty much everyone had gathered together in a clump, staring down at something. Yuugi was a bit curious as to what had attracted everyone, but his concern over his other half was more important. Turning his attention back to Atemu, he was shocked to see his lips moving, like he was sleep talking. Dipping his head down, Yuugi tried to hear what he was saying. Even though Atemu was moving his lips, no sound was coming out.

A strange creaking sound echoed around the chamber, attracting everyone's attention, even Yuugi's. For the first time, he noticed the state the the door to the afterlife was in; its symbol roughly torn out of its perching place, and thousands of tiny cracks lining the door that continued into the walls and ceiling of the chamber. The creaking grew louder and some pieces of rock fell out, hitting the floor. A rumble shook the chamber slightly causing a schism to form in the centre of the floor. Everyone scuttled out of the way as it snaked its way through the floor and up the stairs to the door, not stopping until it encountered the ceiling. The rumbling stopped. There was a brief moment of silence and then what sounded like a nuclear bomb exploding came from inside the schism. Water spurted out from the opening, the force of it flipping the ground up, like mini mountains were forming. It knocked the group back, sending them flying towards the entrance and they all landed together into a giant dog pile.

Yuugi gripped onto Atemu as tightly as he could as the two of them were sent flying off the elevated stage and onto the damp ground. Yuugi landed on his back with Atemu landing on his stomach. Though he was not a very heavy man nor was he very big, the force of him landing on the petite boy forced the wind out of Yuugi's lungs. He coughed a few times trying to get some air back in. He barely had time to recover before an aftershock wracked the chamber. It sounded like a gun firing, its origin from the door. It was short and sweet, not causing much damage, except to everyone's eardrums. When all seemed well, a small rock detached itself from the roof and dropped to the floor. As if that was some signal, another rock joined it, then another and another.

Soon rocks were falling off the walls too.

And bigger rocks soon fell as well, looking like what was a modified rock slide.

The chamber was collapsing.

Using the strength he had, the boy rolled Atemu off him, and maneuvered himself so he was shielding Atemu somewhat from the falling debris. So far they had been lucky; no deadly rocks had fallen on the pair, only smaller ones which did hurt but were definitely not deadly. Yuugi subconsciously held Atemu's body closer as more and more rocks fell on top of him.

Rocks were falling everywhere, a shower of earth and dust clouding his eyesight. He squinted, trying to see through it but could only make out vague shapes; any hope he had of seeing detail was lost. Keeping a steady eye on the patch of ceiling above him, he was well aware of a piece of earth hurtling towards him. Yuugi's eyes widened and acting as fast as he could, he grabbed Atemu by snaking his arms under his other half's and clasping them together so it looked like he was giving him a backward bear hug. With all the strength he could harness, the young boy pulled but the Pharaoh's body would not move. Trying to move himself and Atemu was proving to be useless; he seemed to be a lot heavier then before. Watching helplessly, Yuugi braced himself for the impact that was to come.

A figure darted inside Yuugi's peripheral vision and grabbed the two men in time to pull them out. The two men were flung to the side, both of them ending up face down in the dirt. Coughing, Yuugi looked up to look at his rescuer. The figure grunted in pain as a large rock clipped their shoulder, knocking them slightly to the ground. Yuugi would have gotten up to help but knew that if he left his other half alone for even a second that something bad would happen to Atemu. He watched with worried eyes as the figure clasped their shoulder and rolled it, hissing in pain. The person ran off to the side, leaving the two alone but not before Yuugi heard them yell over their shoulder.

"Don't worry about me. Focus on keeping... the Pharaoh safe." A female voice said. It definitely wasn't Anzu's or Ishizu's and they were the only women in the chamber. But this was something that Yuugi would have to dwell on later. Right now he had to focus on keeping himself and the Pharaoh alive.

A line cracked along the floor right underneath the two men, and started opening almost instantly. The two fell through, Yuugi grabbing onto his other half with one hand and grabbing the edge with the other. He had managed to grab the collar of Atemu's cape and the fabric was holding relatively well. Yuugi sighed. _I hope it will hold long enough..._

The floor started crumbling where his hand was, causing it to slip, inch by inch until he was hanging on with nothing but his will. Beads of sweat formed on Yuugi's brow and on the palm of his hands making it even harder for him to maintain his grip. Atemu slid down a bit as the sweat accumulated on Yuugi's hand. He grunted, tightening his fingers around the fabric, but there was lots of cape available so it didn't worry him as much as his other grip. "HELP!" He yelled up, hoping that the figure who had saved them before would hear but the sound of the chamber collapsing was loud and boisterous and drowned out his voice. Yuugi yelled again, and he got an answer, but not one he expected.

A strange gurgling sound, like someone blowing bubbles into their water sounded off down the hole. Yuugi darted his eyes down, vaguely registering the sound. Suddenly a geyser of water spurted out, throwing Yuugi and Atemu up out of the hole and slightly to the side. They flew through the air, almost as if they could fly. Yuugi was smacked against the roof of the chamber adding another bruise to his collection and was sent plummeting back down to the ground. The ground came to greet him at a fast pace, and he hit his front side head on against the ground.

An eerie silence engulfed the chamber as the water receded and the rocks stopped falling. Yuugi lifted his head, wincing as hot pain danced down his spine. The chamber looked completely different now; the door was destroyed, all the beautiful symbols that were painted on were scrubbed away and its once smooth surface was riddled with scars. The stairs were missing a few steps from being crushed and debris littered the ground. Dirt and water commingled transforming into a slooshy mud, making the floor was no sign of anyone else around.

A shifting of rocks revealed someone to be alive. The stones were thrown viciously to the side as a women got up and dusted herself off, nonchalantly. She winced as her hand brushed against her right shoulder. From what Yuugi could see from where he was that there was an angry red mark on it

"Damn. Downside of being solid: Pain. I've forgotten how annoying that is." She said or at least what Yuugi thought she said. What was said though made no sense. The girl looked around the chamber with a keen eye like she was looking for something or someone. They swept the room slowly until they rested on Yuugi. She scrunched her brow and walked over.

"Pharaoh?" She raised one eyebrow, skeptical. Yuugi knew that he and Atemu looked amazingly similar but they still had their differences and those small differences should have been enough for people to tell them apart. But this girl looked doubtful. Yuugi shook his head, clenching his teeth against the pain it caused. She sighed. "Great. Any idea where he is?"

"Who are you?" Yuugi blurted. The girl blinked, but didn't seem too surprised. She brushed back a long strand of hair that had snaked its way in front of her face.

"Beri. Where is the Pharaoh?" Her voice was clipped, her brows slowly scrunching together.

"I don't remember seeing you here before."

"Yeesh no wonder people thought you two were the same. You both apparently have selective hearing. I swear no matter how long I-" She stopped talking abruptly like she was stopping a rant before it could get going. Taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly, Beri crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Here's the deal, you answer my question and I'll answer yours. Capiche?"

Yuugi blinked at her, confused but nodded anyways. Seeming satisfied, Beri relaxed her posture a bit. "My turn. Where is the Pharaoh?"

"I'm not sure. I was with Ate-"

"Don't say his name!" Her sudden sharp voice made Yuugi jump. Seeing him grimace at his sudden movement, Beri rolled her eyes, kneeling down beside Yuugi and rubbing her hands together in a clockwise motion.

"W-why shouldn't I say it?"

At first she ignored him, continually rubbing her hands and Yuugi thought she wouldn't answer but she opened her mouth then closed it. Tilting her head to the side she inspected Yuugi, eyeing him from head to toe. Yuugi blushed not liking this stranger sizing him up. Nodding seeming satisified with what she saw she opened her mouth. When she spoke as if choosing her words carefully. "There is power in names. True names mind you and if someone says another's true name, well lets just say that the consequences could be disastrous. Depending on who that person is and what knowledge the speaker holds about the power of names of coarse." After a bit she moved her hands apart and placed them on Yuugi, her right on his forehead and her left on the centre of his chest. He squirmed away from her but she grasped his jacket. "Stay still midget. I'm not going to hurt you and when you move it ruins my concentration." Beri closed her eyes, furrowing her brow. Yuugi didn't know what to do. Here was this mysterious bitchy stranger who seemed more interested in finding her own answers than answering others. Yuugi was about to try to move again when a strange warmth spread from her hands and entered the boy's own body. Slowly it crawled through his system, encasing him in a warm cocoon and erasing any form of pain he was experiencing. Sweat formed on the women's brow, and her eyebrows twitched as if she was straining herself.

A minute or so passed until Beri opened her emerald eyes and the warmth receded back into her hands, taking with it any and all pain Yuugi felt, leaving a strange peacefulness swimming through his veins. She shook her head slightly and slid away, leaning against a rock. Brushing some pesky hairs out of her face, she bowed her head forward. "Man I can't do that twice in one day." Beri mumbled to herself. Sighing, she eyed Yuugi, peering up through her lashes, not bothering to move her head from its position like it took too much effort. Yuugi just stared back not sure what to do. He blushed again wondering why she kept looking at him like that.

Clearing his throat, the boy thanked Beri for what she did. "What ever it was." He added with a nervous chuckle.

"It was a simple healing. No thanks is required, but I guess you're welcome." Lifting her arms, she arched her back, making it crack. The sound was loud enough to be heard by Yuugi. She gave a pleasurable sigh, the ghost of a smile threatening to break out on her lips. "So back to our little Q and A. It is important that I find the Pharaoh."

"Why are you so keen to find him?"

"HEY. Remember the rules small person?" She snapped at him. Yuugi held up his hands in a 'okay calm down crazy person' way, shaking his head slightly.

"I already told you I don't know. I lost sight of him when we were launched out of that hole."

"Figures." She grumbled. Immediately, she jumped up, the sudden movement making Yuugi yelp in surprise. Just moments before it looked like she was collapsing in on herself from exhaustion and now she was buzzing with energy? It didn't make sense to the young boy. His eyes trailed her movements noticing how Beri moved in a way that would have made Anzu or any other dancer jealous; she moved like she was floating, her feet barely touching the ground. Yuugi scrambled up to follow her as she made her way around the chamber, searching ever nook and cranny for Atemu.

"So I guess it's my turn right?" He said, jumping over a large crack.

"I answered you're question about the power of names. I think it's my turn." She answered curtly, jumping onto a rather large boulder. Yuugi jumped after her, keeping an eye out for any sign of his other half.

"Alright fine, you go then."

"What is you're connection to the Pharaoh?" Crouching down, she jumped off the boulder she was standing on, her long hair fanning out briefly into what looked like black wings before she rolled onto the ground. He jumped down after her, falling onto his knees, not nearly as graceful as she was. Getting up, he dusted himself off, noticing a new tear in his pants.

"He's my other half, the yami to my hikari." Yuugi had to reel back when suddenly he found himself nose to nose with Beri. Her green eyes were sparkling, lit with some internal flame.

"You're the Chosen One?" She asked, not believing it.

"Y-Ya..." A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, splashing onto the ground. He gulped as she narrowed her eyes, a sudden headache throbbing in the back of his head. She whirled around and jumped to the next stone, leaving Yuugi behind, blinking away his surprise. He shook his head and bounded after her.

"My turn again I guess. Who exactly are you and where did you come from?"

"That's two questions."

"But they are interlinked, so why not answer them both?" He asked, curious. "Plus, I technically answered two of your questions so it's only fair right?"

"Mortals." She grumbled, her voice betraying her irritation. "I already told you my name is Beri. As for who I am... Well, let's just say I'm not meant to be here."

"And why's that?"

"You're turn is over." She said, dodging the question with ease.

"But you didn't really answer my query!"

"You didn't specify how I could answer so I answered it as I saw fit." Coming across the dog pile of Yuugi's friends, she gave them a once over then moved on her way. Yuugi stopped to make sure everyone was okay, and moved them all into a more comfortable position before following the woman.

"Well then ask me a question."

"I don't need to ask anymore questions."

"So then it's my turn again. Why do you -" Before he could finish, Beri cut him off.

"Since I don't have one, the game is over and you can no longer ask questions." Stopping before a rock pile, she grabbed a few rocks and flung them to the side, just missing Yuugi. He jumped to the side a bit, in case she 'accidental' hit him.

"That's not fair!" He exclaimed. Beri stopped momentarily, turning slightly towards the boy.

"_Life_ isn't fair. Hasn't anyone taught you that child?" She replied simply, going back to moving rocks.

"My name is Yuugi." He replied, slightly annoyed that the woman kept giving him demeaning titles. She didn't acknowledge that he spoke, instead focusing only on her task of finding Atemu. Yuugi silently watched her move around the chamber, not bothering to stalk her anymore. Sure, he wanted to find Atemu as well, more than she probably did, but whatever she had done to him, made him feel peaceful, like he had all the time in the world; there was no need to rush. He felt like his other half would be fine no matter what. So he sat back and chilled out, trying to unravel the mystery that was this woman.

Yuugi made a mental list of what he knew of her. One: He knew her name was Beri, though if that was her real name or not was beyond him. For the time being, he would accept it as the truth. Two: She could heal with her hands. He felt along his arms as if to verify that this was true noticing the various tears in his favorite jacket. Not feeling any tenderness, he sat down and thought hard.

She was a walking puzzle. Yuugi loved puzzles; there was something about the way they mentally challenged people that gave him such a thrill. Throughout the years, he had become real good at solving any puzzle - he had solved the Sennen Puzzle after all - and he felt like he could unravel people too. They were just living, breathing flesh puzzles and once he got the pieces in the right order, he could unravel who the person was.

A triumphant cry broke him out of his thoughts. Beri was crouching down on the far right side of the chamber, pushing a rock that was too heavy for her. Without giving it a second thought, Yuugi ran over to her, careful not to trip and fall on his face. When he got to her side, he had to stop and stare for a bit. He saw his other half lying unconscious but what he didn't see was a single scratch, bruise or tear in his perfect sun kissed skin. Beri saw his dumbfounded expression and Yuugi could swear he heard a little chuckle come from her.

"But-! How-? That's.. No. He-!" Yuugi stammered. He shook he head, as if he could change the scene before him that simply. Looking back at Atemu, he couldn't help but stare. "How is that possible?" He finally managed to ask.

"That my dear midget, is something that I can't tell you." With a grunt she moved the boulder off of Atemu's legs. Dusting off her hands, she crouched down and threaded her arms underneath his armpits to heave him up.

"Can't or won't?" He asked and was surprised to hear a burst of laughter escape Beri's lips.

She smirked up at him, a weird twinkle in her eyes and said, "Both."

A/N: I realize that before in the first chapter Yuugi had trapped Atemu's hand BUT he was catatonic in a sense and wouldnt notice such a thing. (at least in my head!cannon). More confusion about who this mysterious character is |D if anyone thinks they know who she is raise your internet hands and shout it out haha. Reviews are love 3

Translation:

Deus damno is Patefacio! - God damn it open!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:AUGH. Told you, RANDOM times these chapters are coming out. I was already working on what would possibly be like the seventh chapter. O_O damn brain. And then it had random inspiration like 20 minutes into writing into chapter four!

Oi vay

On a side note thanks to those few who have stopped by and shown interest in this story :) please be patient with me as I write slow. ) anyways onto the story~

**Interlunar **

**Chapter 3: Frustrations and Innovations**

**Warning: Coarse Language**

"Where did you come from?"

Beri hung her head, her hair falling around her face making it impossible for Yuugi to see beyond it. He could feel the danger vibes coming off her but he couldn't stop asking questions; he was determined to solve her. It was one of his most endearing characteristics; being stubborn to the point that jumping out the window is actually an option. He'd been interrogating her for a while now, and each minute that ticked by counted down till when she would crack and finally answer his questions; either that or he could kiss his ass goodbye but it was taking longer than he thought; usually people would have started flowing out answers by now but this woman was extremely stubborn. More so than him.

Yuugi was naturally curious; he can't help it and after sitting around mindlessly watching Beri work her magic on Atemu while he sat perched on a rather large boulder, his arms holding his knees to his chest, it was hard for him to contain his questions any more. As long as she had her healing hands on Atemu, they would not be able to strangle Yuugi. Of that he was certain.

So no harm in asking harmless inquiries.

"Fuck midget, can't you let me work in peace? Go annoy one of those bone bags over there." She gestured her head in the general direction of where the other unconscious bodies were. No one had stirred, but Yuugi had examined them all and they were all okay, just minor cuts and bruises. Talk about extreme luck. All there was to do was wait for them to stir and according to Beri, that would be a while.

Yuugi shook his head stubbornly. "I'd much rather like to get to know you. After all you did save my life."

"Oh lucky me." Beri grumbled. She dipped down even lower towards Atemu's body, her face inches from his chest. His upper half was almost completely covered by her incredibly long hair and Yuugi wondered if that was intentional or not. He dared to slinky off his boulder and get closer to the two, resuming his previous position when he was certain that he was at a reasonable distance.

"You make a lot of sarcastic jibes but I think they are a cover."

An impatient sigh. "Do tell Dr. Phil, I've been dying to know why I have this urging need to use sarcastic wit to deal with morons." She rounded on him, her hair flying into her face, giving her a demonic look. "I don't need your psycho- analysis. Keep your so called findings to yourself. Some of us are trying to keep others from crossing over understand?" Flipping her locks out of her face, she went back to healing Atemu. ignoring the stunned look on Yuugi's face.

She did that a lot, he found. Whenever he stated something that he had observed about her, Beri would snap at him, stopping just short of tearing out his jugular. _Mental note to self; she is extremely sensitive about herself, and about others trying to figure her out._

He thought he heard a snort, but that could have easily been a rock grating against another rock. Yuugi cleared his throat and dived back in with more questions, all of them flowing out his mouth his brain not really thinking about what he was saying.

"How did you get here? How old are you? What are you doing here anyways, I mean a tomb isn't exactly a hot vacation spot. It seems that you know the other me. How do you know Atemu? Is i-"

"NO!" Beri was slow to shut Yuugi up so she couldn't have stopped him from saying his name. A blast sent Beri flying backward, slamming her body into a giant boulder and something snaked its way toward Yuugi and grabbed him by his throat. It lifted him out of his sitting position into a standing one. A chill crept into the air, ice forming along the cracks in the walls and bleeding in. Yuugi clawed at the thing around his throat but his fingers only scraped along his own throat. Whatever it was, it was squeezing his windpipe, but not enough to completely cut off his air; only enough to make it hard to breathe. His eyes darted down, trying to see his attacker but there was nothing there. All he saw was purple mist gathered around where the pressure was.

Slowly the pressure decreased. As it decreased, the young boy felt ice claw its way down his throat and into his veins, circulating his whole body and the mist start to thin out until it had completely vanished, taking the pressure with it. Yuugi shivered violently, teeth chattering. Looking down at himself he saw that his clothes had ice clinging to them, his hands were plagued with blue patches, which were creeping out to encompass every square inch of flesh. His body temperature plunged, of that he was certain. The air around him became less frigid and more comfortable, his fingers turned a darker shade of blue as he watched them.

A hand clamped onto his shoulder but it didn't feel like any normal human hand. It felt like is was composed of fire. It burned through his jacket and into his flesh, making him writhe under the touch. Yuugi collapsed down onto the floor, kicking his legs out behind him, screaming at the contact. One of his kicks landed on a target and he heard what sounded like a screech. Sitting up, he had a brief moment of salvation before it came again, it's fiery presence burning his skin. Again he flailed but this time, the hand was clamped on too strong. The young boy writhed under the touch, but he had no escape. Squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, Yuugi fought with all his might, trying blindly to escape, his body screaming for him to get to safety. The hand pushed him down onto the ground easily as if he weighed nothing more than a feather, forcing him onto his back. Still he thrashed about blindly.

Suddenly he couldn't move his legs.

Straining against whatever held him, the thing tightened its grip. Yuugi clawed down at his legs and felt something slippery and long sharp poked his fingers hard enough for him to move his hand away out of reflex. As soon as his hand was gone, another thing wrapped itself around Yuugi's torso, binding his arms to his body. He struggled but his attempt where useless. All he could do was wait for the pain to go away.

As the time went on, the heat simmered down to a normal temperature, and Yuugi felt his body relax. He opened his eyes cautiously not sure what he would see. Emerald eyes were glittering in the dark, blank and not blinking. He tried to look down to see what what holding him but he couldn't lift himself up enough. Beri had both hands placed on his chest, keeping him firmly on the ground.

Blinking suddenly, Beri moved back, saying something in an ancient tongue. The bindings around Yuugi loosened and suddenly they were slithering off him. Yuugi sat up, feeling sore all over but strangely okay and saw what had been binding him.

A snake.

A single strangely long, super thick snake.

And it was turning to gold.

It slithered up her arm slowly, winding around her, flicking its tongue at the air. As he watched, his jaw dropped to the floor. It all happened in a blink of an eye; one second it was a real living thing then suddenly it reverted to a gold arm band with emerald eyes. Suddenly, Beri was an inch from his face, making Yuugi cringe a bit and wondering in the back of his head if this woman had ever heard of personal space. Her eyes were darkened and smoldering.

"What the fuck? Did you not just hear me say a few hours ago NOT TO SAY HIS NAME? You're insanely lucky that what you said was not his true name. If it was you'd be lost by now. Gone; scattered as molecules in the air. What the hell we're you thinking midget?"

"I-" Yuugi stammered, at a loss for words. He was blinking rapidly, trying to figure out what was going on. A slide show of images from the last few minutes kept flashing through his minds eye, along with all the pain and the emotions associated with those images. Taking a few deep breaths he asked the first question that popped into his head. "What happened to that snake?"

Beri didn't move, didn't blink and if Yuugi didn't know any better, it looked like she wasn't breathing, not taking her dark eyes off of his face for an instant. Her gaze intensified until Yuugi started squirming. He looked to the side, and took a double take when he saw the snake was real again and was slithering up his body. It was a king cobra, it's hood flared and tongue darting out, tasting the air. Yuugi's eyes were glued to its movements, his body tensing, ready to fight or fly, his heart pounding out adrenaline into his system. The snake raised its head until it was as high as Beri and hissed, baring its long fangs. Sweat formed on Yuugi's brow.

"She is under my command, and you're damn lucky that I'm in a good mood. Next time you ask such a dumb question, your getting bitten by Jet here." The snake hissed once more, darting forward a bit to give Yuugi an extra scare then went back to Beri's upper arm and changed back to gold. Yuugi didn't realize he was holding his breath until he let it all out in one fell swoosh, his entire body relaxing. "Now as I was asking, what was going through your head exactly?"

"N-Nothing!" He stammered, blinking away all his muddled thoughts, focusing on the here and now. "I didn't think! Honest, I just don't know what the big deal was with his name and- wait a minute. What do you mean that's not his real name?"

"No questions! Think before you do anything that stupid again okay?"

"Look the reason we are even in this mess to begin with is because you didn't tell me everything that I needed to know. I have a right to know everything possible." Beri clamped her mouth shut tightly, narrowing her eyes. Yuugi could practically taste the rage and hate that was directed at him. He took a deep breath, calming down his still racing heart.

She snapped her teeth together. "Fine, but I'll only answer significant questions." If Yuugi wasn't so shaken up about the past few events, he would have done a little victory dance. Beri moved away from him and leaned against a boulder, folding her legs up to rest her elbows on her knees. Yuugi slowly sat up, wincing as hot pain danced down his side. He took a breath and began what was sure to be a long and frustrating Q and A session.

"Okay, so my first question still demands an answer."

"I mean exactly what I say. That's not his real name but a clever play on words so that it still retains some of his original name's power."

"Why not let him keep his original name?"

"Put simply, because if any normal person so much as muttered it, they would kill him." Beri answered coolly

Yuugi blinked. "Why would he have a name that could kill himself?"

Beri sat in silence for a bit, staring at her hands deep in thought. "Look you have to understand that The Pharaoh is a very special soul. He is an ancient one that is as old as time itself. When he was first bequeathed his name, he was whole, all that he was living inside one body. Something happened and he ended up loosing most of who he was, including his name. Now if he was to learn what his name was now, all those memories would flood his mind at once, overloading it and causing his head to implode quite literally."

"That's terrible! What happened exactly?"

"Not important." Beri snapped.

"Wait, how do you know all this?"

"Not important either midget!"

"It is though." She was about to snap at him again but Yuugi beat her to the punch. "I need to know if the information I'm hearing is viable."

Beri immediately snapped her mouth shut, glaring at him. "I suppose you're right." She hissed rather painfully. "Because I was there when all this happened. I'm not as old as the Pharaoh but I'm old enough. Before you interrupt again, I'm a spirit stuck on the Earth for the time being through some freak-" She stopped midsentence, her eyes wandering to the side, as a thought dawned on her. She furrowed her brow and bared her teeth in anger. "Son of a bitch!"

Yuugi jumped a few feet into the air. "W-What?"

"Those damn kids! I knew they had a grudge on me for thousands of years but this is low. Lower than low!" Upon seeing Yuugi's confused and shocked expression, Beri tried to elaborate. "There were two spirits here as well. I needed their help for what I was about to do and they were the only spirits that could. But then they tricked me. Instead of helping the Pharaoh, they trapped me here!" She ran her fingers through her hair, teeth bared and brow crumpled. "But wait a minute..." She swiveled around facing the former Pharaoh. "OH SHIT." Taking his hand, she turned it palm side up. Yuugi gasped slightly, seeing the jewel embedded inside the flesh so smooth looking and not a single scar indicating that it was newly placed; he for sure didn't have that thing before this whole mess began.

Looking over her shoulder briefly at Yuugi, she stated simply "You've had three years sucked out of you."

Yuugi's head was spinning not sure exactly what was happening anymore. "Huh?" Beri seemed to be jumping from one topic to the next and it was hard for him to keep up with her. It was like she had hundreds of thoughts processing at once and her mouth was trying to keep up.

"When you said his 'name' the shadows attacked you and sucked three years of your life and gave it to the Pharaoh." Beri pressed her thumb on the centre of Atemu's forehead and closed her eyes. She continued to speak to Yuugi. "He can't sustain his own body without some sort of donation of life energy. I asked two of my accomplices to do this earlier but they were sneaky little bastards and gave that life source to me instead of him. The Pharaoh just got his donation from you."

"Why would those two do something like that?"

"Revenge."

"What do you mean?"

"It was something that happened a long time ago. It's not important now, and I mean that." She stated before Yuugi could interject. "All that matters is that I'm stuck here indefinitely while the Pharaoh has a limited time." She opened her eyes and removed her thumb. Yuugi scooted over to sit beside her, looking down on Atemu with worry.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Beri gave a ghost of a smile at Yuugi, not taking her eyes off Atemu. "I'm sure you'll be able to ask him that question soon."

As if he could hear them, Atemu opened his eyes.

Ever since Atemu had been pulled into the darkness, he had been floating aimlessly inside his own body, not able to feel his own limbs, his senses clouded and useless, his thoughts muddled and disjointed. The only thing that he was aware of was the hot pain that coursed through his body, not once letting up or showing mercy. It lit every cell inside him on fire, burning him from the inside out. He thought he would be living like this for the rest of his life but was relieved when it started to dissipate. Slowly, the fires were extinguished as a soothing coolness crept into his system, filling him with immense joy. He was brought back to his body fully; he could feel his arms, legs and torso once again and his senses were becoming alert once more. He heard two voices talking; one masculine yet high pitched, which Atemu could easily identify as his aibou and the other womanly but very commanding which had to belong to that spirit Beithwal. His eyes blinked open and he saw the two hovering over him, both looking at him with mixed feelings. Yuugi's face changed from one of worry to one of joy as soon as he saw Atemu's eyes open and Beri looked annoyed but a little amused, her expression not changing. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes at the sudden brightness.

"The other me!" Yuugi cried, throwing his arms around his other half. Atemu grunted at the force of Yuugi throwing his weight at him but returned the hug, a small smile forming on his lips. Yuugi gasped suddenly and moved away, his eyes wide. "Oh god! I-I wasn't thinking! You must be so sore after you've gone through all that, I mean what with the flying around the chamber and the sucking of sou-"

"YUUGI." Beri cut him off with a shout. Yuugi blinked, but still looked at Atemu with apprehension.

"Are you okay? I mean, how do you feel?" His eyebrows creased in worry as his eyes swept over Atemu, looking for any bruises, cuts or any other imperfection that would ruin his otherwise perfect skin.

"I'm fine aibou." The Pharaoh said, waving off Yuugi's maternal nature. And, strangely enough, he was. All that pain and suffering he went through, seemed like a bad dream even though he knew it was real. Just like the ceremonial duel and what happened after.

Which reminded him...

"What exactly did you do to me." He stated it more as a demand then a question. Beri bit her lip; the first sign of nerves she had openly displayed.

"It's complicated but-"

"Tell me."

"... I was going to anyways. All that happened was that since you needed to stay here a little extra longer, I figured you would need a better way of existing in this world. Consider it a gift." She moved closer to Atemu and grabbed his right palm, flipping it up to reveal the jewel buried in his skin. "This jewel stores life energy which then is pumped into your body, giving you an actual body of your own, however it is only borrowed energy. Once your fuel source runs out..."

"Yes?"

"You'll be torn apart particle by particle until everything that was you is gone into the air."

Atemu blinked, his heart rate picking up slightly but he kept a clam exterior. "How long is that."

Beithwal's eyes darted to Yuugi then went back to the Pharaoh. "Three years."

Yuugi mulled this over for a bit. "Couldn't he just get more life energy? I mean I could give him some more-"

"What?" Atemu yelled making Beri wince and Yuugi slap his mouth shut, looking guilty. He turned his blazing crimson eyes to the former spirit, looking like he was ready to tear her limb from limb. "You gave me part of his life?"

Beri dropped his hand, making frantic motions with her own. "No no no! It's not like that." Her eyes slightly widened, sweeping the ground around Atemu. At the corner of his eye, he could see the faint purple mist of the Shadows gather around him, clawing at him with greedy fingers, sensing his distress and anxious for some action. Atemu narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to explain. She continued on frantically. "It was an accident! Maji and Awry were supposed to give you their energy but they decided instead to give it to me instead, damn bastards. " At Atemu's look, she shook her head. "Don't ask. It's a long story."

_I expect to hear it later then, _He thought to her as the Shadows around him shrunk down to their normal level, slightly disappointed to not get anything. He still didn't trust her, but some instinct inside him told him that he had to keep her alive. For the time being. She mentally sighed.

_One of these days, you will. But I might not have to tell you. _

The Pharaoh was about to say something to that when he heard a groan echo throughout the chamber. At the sound, Yuugi's eyes widened and he stood up quickly, his body rigid and tense. His face broke out into a grin as more groans followed the first. Beri smacked her forehead, muttering something in a foreign language, but Atemu didn't pay her much attention. He straightened up, standing next to Yuugi and faced the same direction he was.

All their friends had awakened and were rubbing there heads and stretching. Taking Atemu by the hand, Yuugi lead his other half towards the group. For once, Atemu was happy to let his aibou take the lead.

Atemu knew they were all staring even though they all tried their best to shield it. Most looked at Beri with a variety of expressions; Ishizu and Anzu looked a bit miffed at her, scowling when they were certain she wasn't looking at them, Otogi, Honda, Jounouchi and even Seto were hungrily eyeing her as if she was the hottest thing they had ever seen, Mokuba just smiled at her and Malik and Sugoroku eyed her with suspicion. Yuugi had told them everything that she had told him while Atemu, laid back and observed the situation, after they had settled down from first the joy of having the Pharaoh still with them and then confusion for why he was still there.

Otogi cleared his throat, slapping on a charming smile which was aimed directly at the former spirit. Before he could so much as open his mouth, Anzu slapped him on the shoulder sensing what he was going to say and trained her eyes on Beri. She was leaning against a boulder, counting the cracks in the ceiling with the Pharaoh right beside her, who had his arms crossed looking pensive.

"I think we should talk this over." Anzu narrowed her eyes at Beri. "Alone." She ignored the glare that Otogi and Honda threw her.

Beithwal rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, you can all have a chat in this corner while I go to that corner way over there and plug my ears shouting 'La, la, la' over and over again." Atemu's mouth twitched and Yuugi couldn't help but chuckle a bit too, hiding it with a cough. Beri flipped her hair back, giving Anzu a predatory smile. "I think, little girl it would be smarter if we got out of here first don't you think? I mean logically speaking. You can all sort out your domestic problems later."

A dangerous look crossed Anzu's eyes; it looked like she wanted to punch Beri. Yuugi chuckled nervously, motioning with his hands as if to calm Anzu down. "Look she does have a point Anzu-chan. We have to figure out how to get out of here. We've been down here long enough I think."

"And how pray tell are we going to accomplish that?" Atemu spoke up for the first time since him and his aibou walked over to the group. "In case you haven't noticed Aibou, we are completely in-cased inside this rocky tomb." Yuugi scratched the back of his head, thinking up ideas.

"We could simply move the boulders?" He suggested, knowing full well that it wouldn't work. Atemu rolled his eyes at his hikari with a small smile on his lips. Beri crossed her arms and sighed. Otogi snapped his fingers as if an idea just occurred to him.

"Wait, what if Ate- I mean the Pharaoh used his Shadow Magic to disintegrate the boulders?" He said excitedly. Atemu creased his eyebrows together.

"I don't think it works like that Otogi-kun." He stated flatly.

Beri scoffed. "You really haven't been using them much have you?" At his glare, she shrugged and continued. "You can do whatever you want with the Shadow's as long as you have the strength of mind to do it and not loose yourself in the do have a mind of their own you know. Although." She gave him a sideways glance, and if Yuugi didn't know better, he could have sworn a flash of worry came and went in her eyes. "I wouldn't try it in your state."

Atemu scowled at her; no one could tell him what he could and could not do. He had defeated numerous enemies always when the duel favored them and came out victorious. He had lead a nation from when he was just a teenager, and defeated the most feared creature in all of creation.

_I think I can handle moving some boulders._ He thought sourly.

Without a word nor a sound, he got up and walked to where the staircase used to be. Yuugi and Beri both got up at the same time to stop him but they were shoved back down by invisible hands and were kept there. The rest of them all scrambled up, but like the other two, they got shoved down as well.

"Pharaoh!" Yuugi cried, worried that he would expend himself. He had just recovered from God knows what. If he over extended himself with his powers he could...

No. Atemu had been almost pulled from him once. Yuugi wasn't going to let that happen again. He struggled restlessly against the invisible binds that pulled him to the ground, keeping his eyes on his yami. Atemu raised his hands, his back to the group of friends. A small wind picked up, making his cape and hair flutter slightly as the same purple mist that attacked Yuugi gathered around his feet. It climbed its way up his body, outlining him in it's purple haze. It twined its way to his hands, red lightning crackling inside the mist. He flexed his hands, making the aura expand until it was an inch thick. Sliding a foot back, he clasped his hands together, turning his torso sideways but still facing the doorway. The lightning leaped into his hands and he threw it forward, the mist carrying the lightning within. It was a powerful blast. A strong wind picked up blowing towards the sky, Atemu's cape fluttering up. The moment his blast made contact with the rocks, they disintegrated into dust, its particles flying at where he was. The bonds tying Yuugi slacked ever so slightly and he was up before they could drag him back down. Fighting his way through the dust and debris, he found Atemu who was still standing but his knees wobbled. Yuugi placed a gentle hand on his other half's shoulder. Instantaneously, he relaxed into the touch, the mist around him falling back down to the ground. The wind died down and the dust particles nestled into the earth and Yuugi looked forward. The way was completely clear; sunlight streamed into the room lighting up Atemu, his gold jewelry glinting.

Yuugi took a moment to look at his profile; his skin was dark like the rest of him, his normally blazing intelligent crimson eyes, softened a bit and his features hard yet soft, commanding yet vulnerable, prideful yet humble. It was a plate of contradictions but it was impossible for it to be described any other way. The sound of fabric rustling told Yuugi that the others were free as well and were up and at 'em. He looked behind him and was surprised to see Beri there, smiling softly. At that moment, Atemu decided to collapse into Yuugi, his eyes closing completely. Yuugi staggered under the additional weight but quickly righted himself, checking to make sure Atemu was breathing.

"Here, I'll help." Beri grabbed one of Atemu's arms and propped it around her neck. Yuugi did the same with his other, not complaining for once that someone was helping him. Sharing their burden, the two started walking up the steps into the sunlight, the group of friends right behind them.

A/N AGH! Sorry for the delay. Lots of stuff happening around my house involving technology failing around me, birthday parties, hanging out with friends and house work .. This whole social life is BRAND NEW TO ME.

Anyways, ya hope you enjoyed that bit 3 Poor Atemu xD. There is a reason why Beri keeps switching personalities. trust me o-o


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello again. Sorry it's been so long, lots of stuff happened around my house that I just don't wanna get into. I'm back for now and that's all that matters. SO. Without further delay (since I obviously delayed this for 6 months. Oh shii-) here is chapter four and my first response to a review 3

Eleanora-Griffindor: Thanks so much for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story

**Interlunar **

**Chapter 4: Heat**

The sun was blinding to say the least; it felt like someone poured lemon juice into his eyes and no amount of rubbing could get it out. _I guess being trapped inside a cave for who knows how long gets to you, _Yuugi thought, continually rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. The Pharaoh's eyes were slightly closed, a red orb darting towards Beithwal every once and a while. As the group started walking towards the vans, he became more conscious and he leaned more into Yuugi and away from her. The narrowness of the canyon made it hard for the group to walk in pairs, but Atemu refused to let go of Yuugi. Beri was forced to walk behind the two, her keen eyes locked on the two halves.

"I say she should walk. We don't have room for her in any of the cars." Anzu said casually.

"She can't just walk back to Cairo all on her lonesome! A pretty girl such as herself is sure to have something happen to her." Otogi protested but Anzu shook her head.

"She's a magical being. I bet, she could fly her way there or teleport or something. It's better her than any of us." Anzu flipped back her hair, squaring off Otogi. They had been at it ever since they left the cave and they seemed to just be going in circles. The others were at it at one point too but they got tired of Anzu's stubbornness and just stopped arguing. Only Otogi was just as stubborn as she was (especially when it came to the well being of a girl) and wasn't backing down easily. "Besides, have you seen the shape the Pharaoh is in? He could drop at any minute!"

She did have a point. Atemu looked slightly pale, even with his dark skin tone. Beri said that was to be expected since he had used up too much of his energy in one go. After the shock has faded, he should be fine. However, Anzu wasn't buying it.

"Magical? Just because she's a spirit doesn't mean she has magical powers Masaki!" Otogi countered.

Malik sighed and facepalmed. "Look guys I'm sure we can find room in the cars for her. It's not like she's obese or anything."

Anzu turned on him. "It was packed on the way here and that was _before _the Pharaoh had his own body. If we're lucky we can fit him in there. But, since he doesn't look so good, he should be given extra room so he can breathe."

"He'll be fine. Stop mothering him. He _is_ a pharaoh you know." Beri interjected, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Was is more accurate. Today he is just another normal human being just like the rest of us."

Beri coughed but it sounded more like a laugh to Yuugi. Turning his head slightly, he saw a little smirk on her face. "A regular human being who can summon darkness? Oh ya, real normal."

Yuugi bit his own lip to keep from smiling and bringing down the wrath of Anzu Masaki. He just trucked on forward, ignoring the jibes and witty remarks, focusing more on his yami. He was breathing steadily and was slowly starting to stand up straighter but Yuugi was still burdening most of his weight. The canyon got narrower still, the echoes of Anzu's and Otogi's voice growing louder as the space got smaller. Before the walls could smother them all to death, it parted to reveal the two cars that had taken them to the Pharaoh's resting space. Yuugi smiled gratefully and dragged Atemu towards one of the cars.

"Yuugi! We can't go yet!" Anzu called at him. He turned his head to look at her.

"But Anzu, he needs to sit so he can rest more. I'm not going anywhere, promise." Removing Atemu's arm from around his neck, Yuugi helped guide him into the car to sit. The Pharaoh, though awake and conscious, kept quiet, even though Yuugi knew he was slightly annoyed at having someone help him this much.

Making sure that he was comfortable, Yuugi turned his attention back to the group, walking to sit down beside Jounouchi. Everyone had already decided to sit down in the sand to wait out this brawl except Anzu, Kaiba and Otogi. Anzu and Otogi were duking it out with their voices as their chosen weapon while Kaiba just stood to the side, most likely not wanting to get his coat dirty. Judging by his tense stance and the way he gripped his arm, Yuugi guessed he was eager to leave and put it all behind them.

"Look dweebs, if we don't figure this out soon, I'm either going to die of heat exhaustion or of boredom, so what do you say we get this show on the road." Kaiba said, speaking for the first time in hours and confirming Yuugi's suspicions.

Malik nodded. "Lets just all pile into the cars and go from there. We will be able to fit everyone I promise." He got up from his comfy sand chair, pulling his sister up with him. Anzu stomped her foot, glaring at Malik with all her frustration.

"Did you not hear anything I have just said? Neither Yuugi nor Ate- The Pharaoh is in any state to travel in a boxed up car!"

"Is she always this annoying or do I just bring out the worst in her?" Beri wondered aloud to Yuugi, the only person who seems to not either want to jump her bones or rip her throat out. The teenager jumped at her suddenly beside him but smiled up at her.

"Actually this is her on a good day." He said wryly. Beri made a face that suggested he was insane and he just chuckled. She sighed returning to glaring at some unknown sight, blinking twice then narrowing her eyes. Yuugi raised a brow but dismissed it as one of her random mood swings and focused back on the argument. Or at least he tried.

Atemu got out of the car and stood beside Yuugi, keeping his back straight and his shoulders back, continually giving Beri a leery look. Yuugi frowned at him.

"The other me, you should really sit down in some shade. You're still weak and who knows how long this could go on for."

Atemu sat down. " I'll be fine. Sometimes you worry more then Anzu." Yuugi frown got bigger but he didn't complain. Instead he sighed and leaned back, thinking how to bring Anzu and Otogi's argument to a close. He tried to anyways, but something about the Pharaoh was unnerving him. It's not that he kept inching his way over to him – they were after all insanely close having lived inside one body for a few years – but the fact that his body showed nothing but hostility. This wasn't like the Pharaoh he had lived with at all. Yuugi looked at his other half's profile with a keen eye. He was what the carvings had made him out to be; a strong monarch standing-or in this case sitting- tall with a gaze that could either warm the heart or chisel it. Yuugi closed what little distance was between them and wrapped his fingers around the Pharaoh's. He looked down at his aibou in surprise, but his hikari just smiled up at him and squeezed his hand lightly. The former Pharaoh gave a ghost of smile down at Yuugi, his body relaxing a bit.

"Well there is only one way to solve this Ryuji! Let's let Yuugi decide." Anzu said, turning towards the two. She blinked at the closeness of the two, but shook her head, focusing on the task at hand. "What do you think?"

Yuugi bit his lip. "Uh.. well Anzu-chan I think…" He ducked his head, not really sure what to say, not wanting to upset her but not wanting to leave Beri behind either. She was proving to be quite a challenge and Yuugi was determined to solve her. But there was no way he was leaving his Yami behind.

"I think I know the solution little girl." Beri's voice cut through the tension, making Yuugi relax. Anzu whirled on her.

"Oh? And what makes you say that princess?"

Beri just sneered at the other girl and shrugged her shoulders, pretending to not have a care in the world. " I think the scenery speaks for itself." Anzu gave a quizzical look at her. The former spirit guide huffed dramatically. "How many cars did you guys have when you got here?"

"Two of coarse."

"Right. And how many are left?"

"Well duh they are both still here. It's not like anyone-" As Anzu turned to look in the direction of the cars, she stopped. "But…How… It was just here"

Beri chuckled darkly. "Allow me to give you a hint little girl." She cleared her throat and stood up. She crossed her arms across her chest and gave her best haughty look. "Look dweebs, if we don't figure this out soon, my ego is either going to die of boredom or of heat exhaustion." She uncrossed her arms and smirked at Anzu. "Sound familiar?" Anzu glared at her and did a once over the group confirming what Beri was implying.

The Kaiba brothers were gone.

Anzu's jaw dropped. "That insensitive bastard!" She screamed. Jounouchi growled, shaking his fist in the car's general whereabouts, ranting about how Kaiba was a snooty jerk who had no soul, which lead to Honda and Otogi chiming in while the Ishtals, Sugoroku and Bakura sat silent. Everyone however quieted down when the Pharaoh stood, and walked to the centre of the chaos, untangling his hands from his aibou's leaving him on the sidelines. Even though he still was pale and weak, he still looked regal and tall, despite the fact that he was one of the shortest people present. His presence made him seem to tower over Anzu which made her shrink back slightly out of habit.

"Arguing and complaining isn't going to solve anything. We need to think fast and get moving if we actually ever want to see civilization again. We'll deal with Kaiba when we get to that obstacle but first." His crimson eyes swept over to Ishizu. "You know this land well do you not?"

Ishizu bowed a little. "Of coarse my King."

The Pharaoh placed a hand on his hip. "Then I suggest you use your skills to lead us out of here and to the next nearest town." 

Jounouchi's surprised noise cut into the conversation. "You mean to say Pharaoh, that we are actually going to _walk_ in this _heat_? Geez, the short walk from the Millenium Stone to here was enough to leave me starving. How am I supposed to go another step without food?"

"I'm sure you'll manage." He replied coolly. Jounouchi visibly paled.

"Aw come on man! Can't you use your super natural voodoo to zap us to Cairo instead? Please, please, please!"

"No you fool!" Beri hissed. "Shadow magic can only be used on those who have conquered the darkness." At his confused look, the spirit pressed on. "It means, that once the shadows touch you, every darkness inside your soul, every negative feeling you have ever had, any rage, jealousy, hate, greed, whatever you have felt in your entire life, will eat you alive."

"Geez, talk about a buzz kill." Jounouchi gulped. Beithwal's lip curled.

"Well gee, sorry to ruin your day." She remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Be gratefully you're not stuck in the middle of the Sahara desert you wimp."

"Wimp?" In a flash, Jounouchi was up and at it. "Dare you to call me that again, you walking mummy."

A twisted smile formed on her lips. "What is a wimp going to do to someone like me hmm?"

He cracked his knuckles. "Oh I'm about to show you what I can do." He rolled his shoulders back, glaring at Beri, any lust he had for her gone from his face. She just smiled crudely at him. Opening her mouth, ready to taunt the boy some more, she was interrupted by the Pharaoh, who cut her off with a look.

"Enough you two." The Pharaoh glared at Beri but he was addressing them both. From the sidelines, Yuugi was able to see his red eyes were growing brighter and that his body was flexing. Subtle signs that only Yuugi could see that indicated he was growing impatient. "You two can fight later. Beithwal, I suggest you keep that hole you call your mouth shut before I nail it shut. Permanently." The tone of his voice left little to be imagined. She shrank back, all sadistic playfulness gone from her face and ducked her head into submission.

Yuugi watched the interaction between those two, curious about her true motivations for backing down. But he would have to address it later. Moving with a purpose, Yuugi stepped up beside his darker half and slid his hand into the others again, feeling almost instantly the tension roll off the other's body.

Ishizu picked it up to be her que. "We don't have far to walk. It is but a mere four kilometer hike to the East."

Before anyone could moan in protest, Yuugi piped up with his usual optimisim. "Well, let's not waste anymore time. The faster we get there the faster you can eat Jounouchi-kun." He smiled at his best friend, pulling on his other half's hand to get him moving. Jounouchi didn't need to be told twice. He went zipping by with remarkable speed with Honda right behind him. Ishizu ran after them, saying they were going in the wrong direction. Yuugi chuckled at his friends and felt the Pharaoh stare at him. Turning his head, he met his yami's eyes. 'What? Is there something on my face?"

The Pharaoh just shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "You continue to amaze me aibou."

Yuugi tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I used to command an entire country. I could make people bend over backwards if I so wished, but I don't seem to have the ability that you possess. You can make people listen and follow you without a doubt. Yes I had slaves and followers, but they only followed me because they had no choice. You, my dear aibou, make people want to follow you. That is a true gift." Yuugi blushed. Letting go of his hand, the Pharaoh slipped his arm around his aibou's waist, pulling him close making the younger one blush an even brighter shade of red. Even though it was over nine thousand degrees outside and he was hardly dressed for a friendly stroll through the scorching desert, Yuugi didn't let go. He was too ecstatic to have his other half still around to let the heat bother him and ruin the moment.

Atemu wouldn't admit it, but he secretly didn't want the walk to end. It was all too surreal; he was about to be sucked into the afterlife and then suddenly, he's here, being held by his aibou once again and loving every minute of it. He supposed he had Beri to thank for this but there was something about her he didn't trust. Shaking his head, he brushed her aside. That woman would not ruin his happiness.

After what felt like a millennia to everyone but a select few, the group stumbled into a small town, weary, exhausted, and sweat soaked. Honda and Jounouchi dropped to their knees and loudly kissed the semi-cobblestoned streets. Anzu grabbed them by their collars, and pried their faces off the ground. "Would you idiots stop being so… idiotic? We're in public you know! People can see you!" The two just shook out of her hold and rand to the nearest food stand, salivating at the mouth. Yuugi chuckled at the two. It transformed swiftly into a yawn and he leaned against the Pharaoh wearily, half closing his eyes. Atemu carefully pulled him closer, ignoring the skip in his heart. Yuugi smiled.

"I'm supposed to be helping you not the other way around." He yawned.

"I'm fine aibou. Just rest. It's my turn to look after you." Yuugi gave a weak protest as he cuddled into the Pharaoh. Though he was still shaking slightly, he wouldn't allow Yuugi to carry him anymore. The young one had done it for so long even though he was weak himself, never once complaining during the hike. Now it was Atemu was returning the favour.

Slowly, he moved forward, maneuvering Yuugi so one arm was drapped around the Pharaoh's shoulders, keeping one of his own arms securely around Yuugi's waist, hugging him close but not too close. He was so caught up in his aibou's wellbeing he almost didn't notice Anzu walk over.

Almost.

"Is he alright Pharaoh?" Her eyebrows creased together in worry as she crouched down to peer closely at him. Atemu hugged him closer, resisting the urge to tell her to back off. "Wait why are you carrying him? You're weak and need to rest as much as he does."

"I'm fine." He said in a clipped tone. She shook her head and stepped out in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"I'll get Bakura or someone to carry Yuugi so I can help you Pharaoh. Just because you're a King doesn't mean you can't accept help." He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.

"I don't need any help. I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own weight and aibou's." He tried to walk around her but she just moved to intercept him. He huffed. "Move."

She squared her jaw. "Not until you give me Yuugi."

"I said, no. Now move."

"No." He clenched his teeth and glared her down. Anzu glared back, but not with the same intensity.

"Oh give the little guy a break." Beri waltzed over casually and hip bumped Anzu out of the way. "The young hobbit and his royal counterpart will be fine and dandy. All they need is sleep, not some obnoxious teenage girl who needs a new hobby." She laughed at Anzu's flustered look. "Giving away some of his energy to El Bosso over here was sure to weaken him up. I'm surprised he was able to make it this far without complaining or falling over."

Both the Pharaoh and Anzu glared at Beri but she ignored them. "So shall we find a hotel and rest or shall we stand around here gathering more attention?" She wavered her hand dismissively at the few people who were openly gawking at the sight of Atemu. "In case you had forgotten big shot, there hasn't been a pharaoh around these parts for centuries. I don't need to be psychic to know that they are all thinking you're either insane or crazy rich. I suggest you change fast."

"Into what? I didn't exactly plan for this so forgive me for not being prepared." He said venomously.

Beri gave a wicked smile. "I know how to fix you up but first, hotel!" The Pharaoh gave her a warning look and she winked suggestively, moving out of reach before he could do anything. He glowered at her back as he followed.

"Mm, other me?" He looked down at Yuugi in surprise.

"Aibou! I thought you were asleep."

"Not asleep… just resting my eyes." Yuugi yawned again, blinking his eyes half open.

"Of coarse, how naïve of me to think so." Atemu rolled his eyes internally.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"You're squishing me." Yuugi said

Atemu blinked and slithered his arm away from his waist automatically. "Sorry aibou. I didn't realize-"

"No no put it back." He protested, shaking his head. Atemu paused but did as he said, cautiously wrapping his arm back around his waist. "It's… comfy." With that he snuggled into Atemu's chest again and closed his eyes with a happy sigh. The Pharaoh smiled and kissed the top of his aibou's head affectionately. "It's … good to have you…" Atemu closed his eyes, breathing in his aibou.

"It's good to have you too."

The sun was setting in glorious shades of red and orange, but really the view wasn't that impressive. Or maybe she was just thinking that because of her foul mood. Beithwal grunted, pulling the curtains closed to look back into the room she 'rented.' Both Atemu and Yuugi were sleeping in one bed, the two cuddled together. She walked over to the side where the Pharaoh was sleeping and knelt down. Reaching up, she pushed a stray piece of his hair out of his face, marveling in how someone so commanding in both life and death could look so serene.

The gold wrapped around her arm turned warm as Jet came back to life. She slithered up to her mistress's face and tasted her skin. Beri smiled down at her old friend, nudging the snake with her mind to go see the Pharaoh. The snake slid down her arm to slither along the Pharaoh's body and stretched out so it was on his body and his other half. The snake looked up at Beri, staring at her as if it was trying to communicate. She scrunched her nose. "Are you serious? You know that isn't safe." Jet flashed its hood, hissing at its owner. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, but its your fault if I get moody. Well more so then usual. I just hope your right and this works. Or no more mice for you." With a playful smirk, she bowed her head and closed her eyes, her fingers brushing along Jet's scales. She took a deep breath and retreated to the deep corners of her mind. Feeling a warm tendril grab hold of her conscious, she pulled it forward, feeling deep calm enter and part the chaos. Using her mental power, she pushed the calm into her hands, feeling its healing energy flow to the tips of her fingertips. Jet hissed, turning from green to blue as it felt the wave of power invade its body, changing colour in accordance with its mistress' thoughts. The energy flowed over Jet, who then transferred it to both the Pharaoh and Yuugi. Beri licked her lips and spoke, her voice airy and light. "With the power granted to me by the Great One and the river Nile, I use my name and my associate to heal you, Pharaoh." Letting go of Jet, Beri moved her hand over Atemu's bare chest while the snake moved likewise onto Yuugi. With her pointer finger, she drew a simple hieroglyphic; it was a small bird facing to the left. Jet drew the Eye of Horus, then slithered back up Beri's arm and froze back as a piece of jewelry. The symbols glowed bright blue for a moment, then dulled down and melted into the boy's skin. Beri stood up and walked back, breathing in, enjoying for a brief moment the calmness in her mind. Closing her eyes, she said a silent thank you, and then dissipated the calmness, allowing chaos to reign free again. Instantly a headache set in behind her eyes, making her see colours with no shape. Shaking her head, she moved to the only chair in the room and curled up on it, to wait it out.

A/N: Chapter 5 won't take that long hopefully. Let me know what you guys think 3


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hey guys, sorry I thought this chapter would be easier than it was. I ended up taking out a scene at the end and sticking it into next chapter to keep the story flowing smoothly and whatnot. Plus I've had some issues at home with my sister being in the hospital but everything seems to have calmed down now so I can do some writing Oh and if you faved my painting over on dA (you know who you are ;) I thank you immensely!

Redconvoy: Thanks so much for you're review :D I know at the moment Beri seems Mary Sue-ish (I'm trying not to make her one but it's difficult. It's hard to explain now but it will make sense in the end promis) Her attitude is flippant because there is more underneath it all. Ahh! It's so hard to explain! This is just one of those times you have to read on to find out what's going on. (I suggest paying attention to how she treats Yuugi now ;D )

Anzufan: Aww thanks! I hope I don't disappoint :D

Without further adeu, we move onward to….

**Interlunar**

**Chapter 5: Twisted**

It was a troublesome sleep. Weird dreams fluttered in and out of existence; some so vivid that Atemu could have sworn he was awake while others were so obscure and random he knew they were fake. They drifted in his mind like smoke with himself standing a drift in a sea of darkness. Through the haze he could hear voices, jumbled and distorted but he felt like he knew them. He reached out, trying to grab one of the tendrils but it just snapped back and popped out of existence. Atemu tried to move, but he was stuck floating amongst the Void.

It was almost worse than the maze his mind once was.

A small purple mist gathered behind him, swirling around and eventually engulfing him. A breeze ruffled his hair, billowing up and around when suddenly; a cackle resonated within the cloud. Atemu spun around, searching for the source but when he turned towards it, the laughter moved. No matter which way the Pharaoh moved, it was always one step ahead of him, dancing around him with nothing but silk whispers twirling where it once was to hint it was even present to begin with.

Frustrated, Atemu stopped moving and closed his eyes. He opened his ears instead, listening to the soft rustling sound the whispers made. It moved fluidly, almost like…

A cape?

Snapping his eyes open, he saw a shadow of a figure standing before him, the silk of his cape fluttering around the Pharaoh.

"Time to awaken Pharoah."

Yuugi sat bolt right when he felt a sudden coldness creep its way into his skin. Alarmed, his heart racing, he looked down at his other half who still seemed to be in a deep sleep. Carefully, he disentangled himself from Atemu, very wary not to wake him up even though Yuugi was being virtually cuddled to death by the other's legs. Flushing a deep scarlet red, he gently moved the Pharaoh's bare legs from his own, stopping only when he heard a soft groan. Looking up so fast he cracked his neck; he saw Beri curled up on a chair, her head on her knees, her midnight hair virtually covering her entire body. Turning an even darker shade of red, glad she couldn't see him at the moment; he quickly got out of bed, but not too gracefully. With a loud THWACK! The young boy started the day by greeting the floor with his behind.

Beri looked up through her curtain of hair, her usual gleaming jade eyes looking dull and almost blue in colour. "Morning midget." She greeted, her voice sounding rough and haggard.

"M-Morning!" Yuugi chirped, getting up off the floor with an embarrassed smile.

"I didn't want to wake you- both of you looked so peaceful It would have been a crime" She chuckled.

Yuugi coughed. "Are you alright over there?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever it was she was trying to get at.

Beri ducked her head down, disappearing behind the soft curtain once again. "I'm fine. Just a headache. I get them from time to time."

"Oh. Maybe you should sleep?"

The former spirit scoffed at that. "I don't need sleep. Don't fret, it will go away soon."

"What do you mean you don't sleep? Everyone needs to."

She shook her head slightly. "Only things that are living need sleep and since I'm not technically alive even though I've been given a body of sorts… "

"Shouldn't you be living now? I mean, you breathe and I assume you have a pulse so doesn't that make you a living thing?"

Beri brought her head up to look at him quizzically. She opened her mouth then closed it. After a moment she furrowed her brow and opened it again, but no words came to her. Yuugi was reminded of a gaping fish as she continued to open and close her mouth as she tried to find a reason. The small boy shrugged. "Seems to me you do need sleep since you are technically alive."

The former spirit blinked slowly at him. "That isn't something I've honestly done in some millennia."

"All the more reason to sleep don't you think? I mean you and the other me are the same in some ways; both of you given a body with the help of others energy and look at him." He swept his hand to his other half, who was still resting as Yuugi had left him, his harsh face looking incredibly smooth and making the former Pharaoh look so much younger. Beithwal sighed and uncurled herself from the chair with much difficulty.

"Fine. I'll try to sleep. But you-"She walked over and jabbed a finger in Yuugi's face. "- should stay in here. Those bothersome mortals you hang around with are all asleep still so there really is no reason for you to leave this room."

Yuugi didn't know what to say to that so he just nodded and decided to sit at the table that was on the other side of the room. The girl sauntered over to the other bed and collapsed onto it, closing her eyes and drifting off. Within minutes, the soft sound of her snoring came to life. Yuugi smiled to himself. _I knew it._ But now that he was alone, he had nothing to do. The smile turned down into a thoughtful frown as he contemplated what to do, his eyes scanning the room. It wasn't much to look at; just a standard two-bedroom hotel room with a bathroom, a TV, a small glass table next to a rather large window and cheap paisley wallpaper. It was pretty squished, but at least the beds were decently comfortable even if the covers did match the wallpaper to a tee. Yuugi sighed, fiddling absentmindedly with his hands and looked out the window. The sun had made its journey to the top of the sky, shining down with all its brilliance with nary a cloud in the sky, making the younger boy wonder how long he had been asleep for.

The only thing that really held any interest to him, aside from the TV – He couldn't put it on without waking up the others- was his deck of Duel Monsters cards, snuggled safe inside their duel disk. He recalled Ryou at one point showing him a trick with the cards; a way to tell someone's fortune or to answer a question. Forming an idea, Yuugi grabbed the cards from their resting place and scanned through the deck, blinking in surprise when he found the three Egyptian God cards there as well as his Black Magician and Black Magician Girl. Curious, he shuffled through the rest. His deck had changed itself into the one he had at the end of Battle City. Marking that as another 'what the hell is this' moment on top of an impossible day, he brushed it aside and shuffled his deck, trying to remember what Ryou had done.

As he was shuffling, Yuugi wondered if it could unearth a person's true identity. Deciding he had nothing to loose but time, the young boy asked who Beithwal really was. The spirit said there was power in names, so Yuugi assumed that this meant she was lying about her true name. If he could uncover her true name…

His hands were operating on autopilot as they arranged the cards on the table by memory. Flipping over one card he stared down at it and made a mental note of the card, and did the same for the next two. Yuugi had never really been good with symbolism- he was rubbish at poetry in class without some kind of cliffnotes- and since cards didn't exactly explain the meaning behind their symbols, all he could do was wait till he could talk to Anzu or someone who spent their free time with Shakespeare.

After a few other test runs, asking questions that really had no meaning behind them, he felt confident enough to ask it a true query. There were so many he wanted to ask, but first the one that had been bugging him the most.; what is the true identity of the other me? He gripped the cards, stopping mid-shuffle. Suddenly, he had second thoughts. Was it something that Yuugi really wanted to know?

When Atemu turned his back on Yuugi back at that cold dank chamber, the young boy thought – as melodramatic as it may seem – that he was breaking in two. His darker side had only been with him for two years but through that entire time, they had grown so close. It was to be expected to some degree; they had shared the same body and as it turned out where two parts to the same soul, but there was something else. Something Yuugi couldn't quite put his finger on; something that existed between them that went beyond just friendship or even a regular relationship. All he knew is that he needed Atemu no matter what, and the Ceremonial Duel had proved it.

At the back of his mind, he wondered if Atemu felt the same.

Yuugi bit his lip in thought. Well how could he not? Atemu had been constantly glued to his side ever since they left the tomb and had glared at anyone who so much as even dared to get too close – especially at Anzu. That had to mean he at least felt something for Yuugi right?

Stop it! He silently chastised himself. So what if he does all that? He has always been the overprotective type and now that he has his own body, that's just intensified tenfold. And besides, this is about what's best for him not you. He said so himself at the gates after the Duel. It was for the best… Yuugi closed his eyes, sighing a little. Was it though? Opening his eyes a little, he saw the deck staring up at him, as if to say Stop being a little baby and do what you know is right, feelings aside. Resisting the urge to stuff the deck to the bottom of some bottomless pit, he clenched his eyes and made a silent oath to himself to do whatever was right for the Pharaoh.

Even if it left Yuugi with nothing.

Forcing his hands into action, he quickly shuffled the deck and placed the first card at the top of the table facedown. Then set two more in the same fashion, setting it up so it looked like a small 2D pyramid on the table and then laid down the third level. Yuugi's hand hovered over the first facedown card on the third level. This card was supposed to represent the past. He flipped it over and was surprised to see the Winged Dragon of Re staring at him. Furrowing his brow, he moved on to the next card in the sequence; the present. After he flipped it over, his mouth turned down more; he didn't recall having this card in his deck ever. It was one that Pegasus used back at Duelist Kingdom; the Illusionist Faceless Mage. Well I guess it makes some sense, the teenager thought. At the moment Atemu is back to where he was when we first met. He knows he was once a great Pharaoh but that's only the start. Yuugi looked at the third facedown and hesitated before picking it up and slowly flipping it over. All he could do was stare at it, his mouth hanging open like a flycatcher.

It was the Winged Dragon of Re again. Only this card showed it in its Phoenix form. His eyes swiveled from the first card to the third and back again, but nothing changed. Cautiously, he picked up both expecting one of them to burst into flames or do something spectacularly impossible but neither did. The first copy of Re in his right hand looked exactly the same as when he got it from Malik and the second copy was still impossibly there. Brining both up closer to his face, one card in each hand he squinted at them, convinced his mind was paying tricks on him. The more he stared, the more frustrated he became. Both cards were there and they weren't disappearing. Sighing heavily, Yuugi threw them both down on the table, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

The first Re he could vaguely understand; Pharaoh's were believed to be the avatars of the god Horus back in Ancient Egypt, but why have Re appear again? And in a completely different form? Couldn't any other god card have sufficed for the present? Yuugi folded his arms on the table and rested his head on top, his amethyst eyes glazing over in thought.

What was the link to his other half and the Phoenix Sun God?

Atemu turned towards the voice, expecting it to just start its game of cat and mouse again and was surprised to see the figure still there. It stood with its head bowed, a purple hood pulled up over his face, casting it in shadow. The only thing Atemu knew was that this person was tall. Furrowing his brow, the Pharaoh placed a defiant hand on his hip, standing in what could only pass as a haughty sexy ruler pose.

"Get out of my head." He ordered with no inflection in his voice. The figure just laughed, a strange duel tone emanating from his throat.

"But we aren't inside your thick skull Nameless One. Your mind wandered while you were sleeping and you ended up in my humble abode. So technically I should be the one to tell you to fuck off." The figure laughed again, moving fluidly around the Pharaoh. "Although I guess now you have a name to your title. But no one can say it without killing themselves. How tragic." His tone implied anything but sympathy as he drew closer to Atemu. "From what I understand, you have one year to roam this Earth as an earthbound spirit with a borrowed body until the ultimate Shadow Game is unleashed."

"If you are implying that the Shadow Games are just going to keep coming, then I already know that. There was no need to pilfer my spirit from my body to your –as you call it- humble abode just to tell me something I already knew." The Pharaoh flicked his cape and walked way from the figure, refusing to state any of the questions he had swirling in his mind. Apparently, the other could sense his curiosity and just wound up in front of him again, close enough that the Pharaoh could see that his skin was tanned and his face was marked all over the place with scars.

"Paradoxes cannot exist in one place for too long without some kind of implosion." A twinkle shone underneath the figures dark cape.

The Pharaoh snorted. "And I am the evening and morning star."

"Then you must be ready for consequences to follow O Conceited One." The man dipped his head down low, hiding his face once again. "I don't like you any more than you like me; you cost me a life but as much as I despise you, I despise the end of the world even more."

Atemu moved around the apparition, growing tired of the man's obvious insanity. He just reappeared in front again, blocking the Pharaoh's path. "Yes the world is ending; Shadow Games have extreme Penalties awaiting those who fail, but I assure you, as the King of Games, where the world is concerned, it's safe."

The figure shrugged. "Is it safe from you?"

Atemu narrowed his eyes. "Choose you're next words carefully."

He laughed manically. "You need not fear me, O Radiant One. It's the rest of yourself you should fear." The figure paused, shaking with silent laughter, ghosting around the former spirit. "One part burns with intensity that heats the planet's core while another nurtures what grows- what lives. " A bronzed arm bedazzled with golden cuffs slithered out from underneath his shroud of darkness. "Opposites attract but when combined, will unleash a force so powerful, so blinding, it will make the Sun shrivel." The apparition retreated again but not without laughter. The purple mist gathered around him into a solid pillar. Before it could solidify, Atemu saw a malicious smirk twist around an oddly familiar bronze face. "And without the Sun, the world will fall to Chaos."

With that said and done, the pillar collapsed into itself like a star, taking the figure with it, and shocking Atemu awake.

"Well look who's finally awake." Head aching, and arms heavy; Atemu forced himself up, squinting against the pocketful of sunshine that greeted him. Yuugi sat at the lonely desk, cards in hand and a smile on his face. Surprisingly, Beithwal sat opposite of him, also with some cards in hand but sans smile. Deep red sunlight seeped into the room, concentrated like laser beams, tracing intricate patterns on the walls and floor, making Atemu wonder vaguely how long he had been out. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed that his crown had been removed, as was the rest of his jewelry. "I took them off after you collapsed in the bed. I mean, who wants to sleep with all that gold on right?" Yuugi explained, a guarded expression on his face.

"What in the world are you two doing?" Atemu yawned, taking note of his aching bones, feeling a few crack out their pain.

"Playing Duel Monsters. Beri wanted a lesson." Yuugi said with a shrug, turning back to his hand to place a face down card, signaling the end of his turn. Beri looked up from her own cards, narrowing her eyes at the young boy.

"Okay I think I got this." A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth as she grabbed for two of her monsters, replacing them with one; The Mystical Beast of Serkhet. Then she used the Change of Heart magic card and snapped up Yuugi's Silent Magician. "Ha! Not bad eh? Now I think I'll take down your Big Shield Gardna."

Yuugi nodded thoughtfully, then turned over his own card; the De-spell magic card. He smiled up at the other who was now frowning dramatically. "Your getting better though Beri!"

"Ya, and one day pigs will fly." She picked up the magic card and eyed it thoughtfully before disposing of it. Atemu thought he saw a flash of… something behind her green eyes, but it didn't linger long. He remembered through Yuugi's eyes the time at Duelist Kingdom when Ryou had shown everyone his favorite card. It made sense; he had two personalities and it was strangely symbolic of the yin tearing at his yang. The Change of Heart was connected to Ryou back then. It made him wonder if she felt the same way he did.

So many mysteries were piling on top of another and it was giving Atemu a headache. For once, he would just like to lie down with his aibou and enjoy Yuugi's company and not have to deal with this shit, but the fact that there was a former spirit who he knew absolutely nothing about was playing card games with Yuugi like they were old chums plus the fact that somehow his spirit had been separated from his body to enter god knows where and find some ghost or something warning him of impending doom.

It was just another typical day in the life of the former Great Pharaoh of Egypt.

Resisting the urge to ram his face into the nearest wall, Atemu got up out of the bed, hissing in pain as more joints popped alive.

"Oh I suggest you get ready, Pharaoh." Beithwal said nonchalantly, picking up a card from her deck.

He sighed, walking stiffly to the bathroom, pointedly ignoring her. He began running some water for a nice, relaxing, hot shower when her voice drifted out from the main room. "You don't have time for that!"

"If you have time to play a fucking game I have time to take a fucking shower, wench." He snapped, slamming the door behind him. Taking a deep breath to calm the shadows before they could rip out Beri's throat - as much as he would have loved that- the Pharaoh unclothed himself and stepped into the steaming hot shower, letting the water seep its way into his aching joints, washing away the tension caused from his dream and the previous day.

It felt like he was just repeating what he had already done; living in a strangers body with no idea who he truly was. Granted this time, Atemu at least had a name even if the name was powerful enough to cause harm on whoever so much as whispered it. Still, he had no idea where to begin or even the slightest clue who he was before he was Pharaoh.

_To hell with this_, Atemu thought bitterly, _I'm not in any major rush. A year is plenty of time when you compare it to other time limits I've faced. _

_And there are benefits for staying a whole year… _a small part of his brain whispered. He had to admit, there were certain perks; but the fact that he did have a time limit – however long it may be- just reminded him that he couldn't get any more attached than he already was. If Atemu were to act on his impulses, he was certain he would never willingly step into Duat, for the safety of the world or otherwise. Atemu sighed, rubbing a hand over his face to clear his thoughts. No. I'm not dealing with this now. I will not think about the world or anything else, I just want to focus on what I want for once. Screw the rest of the world.

After what felt like a few minutes, but was probably an hour, the former Pharaoh turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping his lower half in the complimentary hotel towel. Scratching his fingers through his hair to regain their spikey-ness, he wiped away the steam from the mirror with his free hand and nearly fell backwards. Whipping his head around, he saw no one there but when he turned back to the mirror he was there; a Cheshire Cat in the steam. Atemu shook his head violently before looking at the mirror again. He was gone but the image of him was gnawing away at the Pharaoh. It was him. That spirit that invaded his head… Atemu thought he had looked familiar…

That face... that horrific face. The one he had hoped never to see again…

Throwing open the door, Atemu speed walked into Yuugi. The smaller boy gave a surprised yelp and quickly jumped back from the other, ducking his head upon seeing his other half's half-nakedness. Yuugi extended his arms, offering the Pharaoh some of the clothes that he had on hand for emergency. Atemu took them, but his mind wasn't fully there. He was too busy thinking.

Thinking about ripping out Malik's throat before he could do likewise to the Pharaoh.

AN: I loved writing the scene with the mystery figure. He's like my favorite person to write about but he's so damn hard to get right! If you don't know who he is yet, you'll know by next chapter

Review for me? /AN


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I apologize for the superbly long delay. But this chapter is a long one so I hope I can be forgiven /hides from rotten tomatoes. Also, a little bit of fluff near the end... AHEM.

**Interlunar**

**Chapter 6: Suspicions and Realizations**

Bing bong. Screams and shouts. Hustle and bustle. On time. Delayed. Security breach. Board. Five minutes. Turbulence. Bing bong.

Everything passed by in a blur; everyone talking at once, kids crying, people running everywhere trying to get on a plane to somewhere. It was crazy to Atemu, but to the other kids, it seemed to be normal. One would think that the Cairo airport wouldn't be that closed in; it was a spacious building, with big glass dome ceilings joined together via concrete tunnels, and a few wall-less rooms opening up to the blistering outdoors framed by palm trees. The building itself wasn't too grand, with simple white painted walls with a few hieroglyphs, paying homage to the city's ancestry. Bodies were everywhere though; many not paying attention to where they were going, and pressing close to the group that it gave the illusion of a closed in airport. It could have been that half of the airport was empty, but with everyone so close to him, it was hard to tell. After a while, Atemu stopped paying attention. He just stayed close to his aibou, only following the movements of Yuugi's body and not bothering with what the others around him were doing.

Except for Malik.

If there was one person who could be deemed as up and down, its him. He literally had two different sides to him, a perfect balance of order and chaos. Atemu had thought that since Battle City, the chaos side of him was destroyed, but if that was the case, why was Marik still around? That dark side of Malik had been created from his hatred for Atemu and all the crazy things that had happened to him in the Pharaohs name. At least, that was what Atemu thought. Now he wasn't so sure.

A chuckle resonated inside his head. _Tick, tock goes the clock. _Whipping his head around, he tried to find the source. Crimson eyes flamed as they scanned the crowd, trying to decipher meaning in the nameless mess of humans. _Tick._ His eyes darted to the right, but saw only a wall. _Tock._ To the left, he found little else. Yuugi moved forward and handed someone a ticket; Atemu did the same, keeping his body close to Yuugi. If he felt his hikari move an inch, he moved to cover that distance unconsciously.

"Hey! HEY!" A snap in front of his face brought his attention to the girl sitting next to him. He turned in his seat, the belt keeping him constrained-

Wait. When did he get on the plane?

"We boarded five minutes ago, which you would have known if you weren't so busy daydreaming. It must have been a gooder since you were gone for… oh I don't know. Twenty minutes? Half hour? Something like that." Beithwal reported, grabbing the in flight magazine in the pocket in front of her and crossing her legs. Atemu grunted at her, half listening and half scanning for his aibou. Beri sighed, closing the magazine with flair. "He's up front with Ryou and Malik, now sit still and be a good little boy. The plane is going to take off soon. Honestly, you kids and your hormones."

"He's with Malik?" Atemu said incredulously. Reaching around, he undid his buckle, and rose up. Beri grabbed his tunic and yanked him back down, nearly ripping off a bit of its cloth. "Would you just-"

"He's fine. You can survive without your hikari for a few hours. It's not like he's going anywhere." Again the former Pharaoh rose from his seat and again was pulled back down. "If you keep doing this you're either going to get some unwanted attention or I might rip off your tunic. Which I guess means that the former could be the consequence of the latter."

"Then stop tearing my tunic."

"Then stop acting like a child. Hard to believe you were once a great king." He glared at her, ignoring her little comment. Her hand clamped down hard on his arm sensing what he was about to do. Atemu yanked his arm back, a chill settling in the air between the two. _What is with this woman? _"If you try to get up again fool, I'll tie you down to that chair and I promise it won't be fun."

"Why is it so important for me to stay?" Atemu hissed.

This whole situation was ridiculous. "Why is it so important for you to get to Yuugi? Nothing is going to happen to him during the plane ride." She said back, raising her eyebrows and knocking on the seat in front of her. The man in front turned around and barked something in Arabic to Beri but his heart wasn't really in it.

As much as Atemu would have loved to argue, he could see she had a point. Malik was not going berserk just yet, but one never knew; Marik was as unpredictable as the weather. So far, he had been restrained to the spirit world, but anything could happen, however the odds of it happening on an international flight filled with tourists was an unlikely setting. Beri sighed. "Look if it makes you feel better, switch spots with me. He's in the aisle seat two rows up on the left. You can sit and watch his every move if it makes you feel better."

Atemu blinked at her, stunned for a moment. "Are you actually doing something nice for me? Without a sarcastic remark?"

"Shut up, I do lots for you," Beri remarked.

"Not without some quick retort of the tongue," the Pharaoh pointed out.

"Move now, before my charity slips away, and my tongue regains its wit," Beri said calmly, narrowing her eyes. Quickly, the two changed seats and Atemu could see that Beri was right. He did have a good view of Yuugi from here. He could see that his aibou was chatting amiably with Ryou while Anzu was leaning forward in her seat, listening. Yuugi's laughter floated to Atemu's ears. At that moment, Yuugi looked like a normal teen. The scene brought a smile to the Pharaoh.

"Oh so you can smile. And here I thought you had a permanent scowl on your face." Her thumb pressed down on buttons as she fiddled with the controls for her TV. Atemu didn't bother to answer and just kept a close eye on aibou. "Oh gee thanks Beithwal, your such a nice person. Hey no problem Pharaoh, just wanted to help out. Of course courtesies are too much to ask." Beri muttered to herself and flipped through faster before an electronic voice told the passengers to focus their attention on the flight attendants.

Everyone stopped talking out of courtesy and listened to the voice, except Atemu. He watched Malik closely, observing his every twitch. It could be that he was taking this out of proportion, but if being Pharaoh had taught him anything, it was suspect everyone. Assassins lurked around every corner, a dagger was hidden under every cloak, blood was always found in shadows and everyone wanted yours. Being scared paranoid was never a good thing; it made one slow and clumsy, however, being cautiously paranoid was practical. Early on, Atemu had learned from his father how to read what a person was thinking from their body language; words can come false on the tongue much easier and quicker than gestures.

The voice stopped talking and the attendants went about their business again, leaving the passengers to their own. Yuugi turned back to his friends beside him and continued talking to them. Malik seemed utterly at ease, his shoulders and neck were relaxed; a small smile was playing at the corners of his mouth as he leaned across Ryou towards Yuugi like he was genuinely interested in what the other boy was saying. No sheen of sweat, no glimmer in the eye, not a thing out of place. Malik was his lighter self at the moment, but Atemu was still unconvinced.

As the plane rumbled under his feet, he made a silent promise to Yuugi that he would not take his eyes off of Malik for as long as the plane was in the air. It was the only way to make sure he would be okay.

Only when the sun began to set beyond the horizon and the flight attendants started handing out pillows did Beri say something. "This is ridiculous. As I said before, and I reinforce it now, nothing is going to happen to him on this plane." Atemu said nothing, just watched as Yuugi passed a pillow to Malik then another to Ryou. "Look they are all going to fall asleep soon, maybe you should do the same. I know I will."

Atemu shook his head. "His guard will be down. I'll be his eyes and ears while he sleeps." Beri sighed but didn't bother to argue. She just wished him happy stalking and fell asleep.

He wasn't sure how it happened, but the atmosphere in the plane changed once everyone but him was asleep. It took on that ethereal quality that was the Shadow Realm, with everything and everyone around Atemu disappearing until all that remained were the purple clouds with no up or down, left or right. At first he thought he had fallen asleep as well, but with a quick pinch on his arm he disputed that theory. Atemu looked around, but he couldn't see anything beyond the clouds. If he stopped and listened, he thought he could hear light whispers of tortured souls. Atemu's eyes scanned the realm, looking for any sign of the other one.

_I've traveled again. But I didn't do it, at least not on purpose. Did he bring me here again?_ Atemu frowned, worrying about what would be happening to his aibou. _I got to get out of here, but... how? _He clenched his teeth and moved forward; the mad man had to be around here somewhere.

It didn't take long for Atemu to find him; this time, he didn't bother hiding himself. Marik was lying on top of one of the clouds, utterly at ease, watching Atemu with a small smirk. The only thing missing from the picture was a cup of grapes. "Well this is a first. Normally birds don't fly into my maw willingly." He chuckled softly. "What brings you back Your Lowness?"

"I did not come here willingly," Atemu replied hotly.

"Restless soul are we then? Not surprising." Again he chuckled. With a flourish, the madman disappeared off his cloud and reappeared in front of the Pharaoh almost nose to nose. To have him so close made his skin crawl but he refused to move. He would not be the one to back down. "What's on your mind then? Oh wait let me guess, your wondering why I'm here? Shouldn't I be dead and gone?" He pulled away laughing. "Wouldn't you like to know? Oh no, no. One does not simply tell all. What do I owe you? Nothing! But you however, owe me your life!"

Atemu couldn't help it; he laughed. "My LIFE? Please enlighten me, as I seem to have forgotten, how I owe you that? The last time we met, you were hell bent on destroying me and taking down anyone that got in your way."

Marik swatted away the thought with his aloof hand. "That's eons ago. Another reality really." Suddenly finding his nails more interesting, Marik looked the picture of haughtiness. "You just don't get it do you? I would have been happy where I was." The world around them became colder and darker, as did Marik's voice. "It wasn't heaven, no where near in fact, but it's better than being lost in here." Purple eyes darted up to look at scarlet pools. Clouds swirled in Marik's eyes as he regarded the former Pharaoh with little liking. He flipped his cape and moved around the Pharaoh. "What do you see around you? Mist? I see everything that has happened to me, all my failures; all my torments, they twist around in the clouds. If I stop and listen, I can hear them play out. Listen!" Standing still, he closed his eyes. "If they hadn't plucked me from where I was, I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Atemu's jaw dropped to the floor. He scoffed at the other man. "_Save me?_"

"Yes, save you." Marik twisted around and glowered at him. "You may not like it, and believe me, I hated it. I would have preferred to see you die slowly and painfully."

Atemu was flabbergasted. "How... Why-"

"- Did I do it? Because I had no choice. I see things in these clouds. I may not like you – hell I may hate your fucking guts – but I hate what I see more. This is one Game of Darkness that should not be played"

He couldn't believe it. Marik's sole purpose had been to kill Atemu; he had been created from Malik's own hatred. To let him live was against his very creation. Atemu was speechless. He had a whole speech mapped out in his mind, but the words would not come.

"What, I get no thanks? If I hadn't been there yesterday, they would have gotten inside your body and who knows what would have happened."

Atemu perked up. "Who's 'they'? What is this Game of Darkness you mentioned and why would you fear it? After all you were the one who played it vigorously."

Marik was silent. "Go back to your body. Stop floating away and maybe, you'll live long enough before they win and the Game starts. Find out the truth about yourself before time crashes together."

"Time crashing together? You're crazier than before."

He ignored the Pharaoh. Tilting his head to the side, Marik listened to the air before continuing. "Seams have been ripped and old blood pours through." He straightened up, his lavender eyes flashing to a deep shade of plum. "War is sleeping but the wall weakens-" Suddenly, Marik collapsed onto his back. Atemu stayed where he was, leaning backwards slightly ready to either stand and fight or flee, though he would have preferred the first choice. A black hole ate its way through the others' stomach. "Can't you hear it? The screams, the taunts, the laughter of all the broken souls?" The laugh that came out of him was anything but human; the dual tone from his own voice made it sound even more bone chilling. As Atemu watched, the man writhed on the floor, the hole eating up his body. He backtracked away from Marik. Reaching with his mind, the Pharaoh called upon the shadows and let them engulf his own body in a translucent purple barrier. Marik got up slowly, his form slipping in and out of existence as the hole grew in size. When he looked into Atemu's eyes, he felt like he was back in the tomb in Egypt; a fierce chill worked its way into him, making him feel frozen to the spot.

His eyes were the purest black.

"**Prepare yourself, Son of Aknenkaten for the Ultimate Game." **It wasn't Marik's voice that came out of his mouth, but a genderless rumble that sounded like metal. Red veins appeared in his eyes and as Atemu watched, extended out onto his face. The patterns they formed shifted as more of Marik was being sucked away. **"A beautifully simplistic Game, but one that no one can truly win. A Game with two rules: Survive and conquer." **The darkness around Atemu rippled, waiting for orders from a mind too disjointed to give any. Half of Marik was gone now; only his upper body existed. He threw his arms to the side, as if to embrace the Pharaoh. **"Let the bloodbath begin!" **With a final flourish, what was left of Marik disappeared into the darkness, leaving Atemu alone.

Once the echo of his voice left, Atemu released his shadow shield and fell onto his knees suddenly feeling too weak to stand. What had just happened?

The plane awoke Yuugi with a jolt as it touched down. The plane ride had been all smooth sailing, letting Yuugi catch up on some well-deserved rest. Sure he had slept at the hotel briefly, but trudging through the desert had taken a lot more out of him than he had thought. Around him, he noticed his friends stirring as well; Ryou was yawning and stretching, looking a bit like an albino cat. Malik was rubbing his eyes and looking out the sunny window while Anzu rubbed her face. Turning in his seat, Yuugi looked back at his other half.

Simply put, he looked razzed, like someone had tied him to a metal pole in a lightning storm clothed in nothing but aluminum foil. Beithwal, who was sitting next to him, was chatting rapidly to him. From his seat on the plane, he couldn't tell what she was saying, but judging from his other half's stoic face, he could guess that he was not happy. Yuugi tried waving to him to catch his other half's attention, but he just stared ahead, eyes not blinking, body not moving, a perfect statue of a Pharaoh.

"Welcome to Domino City! It's a stifling 30 degrees outside so load up on sun block before you wander out!" The captain's voice crackled over the intercom, too cheerful for most non-morning people. "If this is home, then welcome back, hope you enjoyed your trip. If this is your travel destination then enjoy your time here in this lovely city. Have a great day!" With that, the seatbelt sign came off, every belt _clicked_ at once and everyone stood up to leave the plane.

"Can't say I'm particularly happy to be back in Domino City," Malik commented to Yuugi, making the shorter one turn slightly, keeping his eyes on the progress of the slow progression of people. "At least things are different now, right?"

"Of coarse, Malik-kun! Why wouldn't they be?"

"I-I'm not really sure Yuugi-kun." The blonde looked away to the back of the plane. Yuugi's own darted to see what he was looking at and felt a strong shiver go down his spine. Both Atemu and Beri were staring at Malik, dark suspicion clouding their faces. It was eerie how similar they looked at that moment. "Something tells me I'm not welcome here."

"Don't be silly! We all owe you so much, and the other me knows that as much as I do." Still looking unconvinced, Malik turned away from the stares. Yuugi could see that Battle City was something the blonde was not proud of, but what was done was done. They were all mature young adults; they could move forward and forgive. Surely the Pharaoh knew that. "I'll talk to him okay? See what's troubling him." _After all if there is anyone the Pharaoh would even consider talking to openly, it's me. _

Malik managed a weak smile. "Thanks Yuugi-kun." Yuugi nodded, smiling to his friend.

"Not to worry." It was time for Yuugi to move off the plane, so he took his place in line behind Ryou, thinking to himself. Something must have happened while he was asleep to make the Pharaoh display his displeasure so openly, and to have Beithwal join him as well. Smiling, Yuugi thanked the stewardess and walked out into the heat of Domino City, slowing his pace so his other half could catch up. When he did, he didn't seem to notice his hikari and just kept marching, Beri keeping pace behind him, arms folded casually behind her back. Yuugi jogged a bit to catch up.

"Hey, other me. What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Nothing that is of consequence to you, aibou."

Yuugi snorted. "That's what you always say when something is eating away at you. Haven't we been through enough together? You know you can trust me." He reached out to gently grasp his other half's arm, feeling the heat radiate off of the monarch's skin. Tension rolled off his sun-kissed skin as soon as his aibou's hand touched him. His pace slowed until he gradually stopped and he looked at Yuugi, with Beri marching past them, melting into the crowd.

"I understand aibou. I trust you more than I can trust Ra to reemerge victorious every morning. Understand, however, that this is nothing of importance to you." His scarlet eyes softened slightly as he pulled Yuugi into a hug. "I promise."

Yuugi sighed into his other half's chest, sensing that the Pharaoh was lying. But why? He wasn't able to ask, before he felt the heat from his darkness leave him, and was left standing in the middle of the runway, watching him march forward with a purpose. Shaking his head at the stubbornness that his darkness portrayed, Yuugi half jogged to follow behind him, looking very non-chalant. By the time they entered the building, the Pharaoh looked very lost. While all the other passengers meandered their way over to the baggage claim after meeting up with loved ones from the city, he stood still, his pose radiating annoyance with a hand on a hip that was jutting out as his head slowly moved from side to side, scanning the crowd for…

His other half's head froze, his hand dropping from his waist as he stared to the left. Yuugi followed his gaze, and saw a familiar blonde head bobbing amongst the crowd of nameless faces.

While this airport was not as busy as the Cairo airport, there was still a considerable amount of human traffic milling about. In all honesty, Yuugi would not have seen his friend if he wasn't so distinct in his appearance. He was thankful for this as he tailed his other half through the crowd, easily loosing him due to his shortness.

Always the polite one, Yuugi didn't shove people aside so he didn't get there in time to see what caused the sudden exclamation that echoed to his ears, but he could have easily guessed. With a bit more urgency, he skirted around a married couple pushing some strollers to come in front of the bathroom, its door still swinging from the force of the previous guest. Looking around quickly, the young boy confirmed his suspicions that the two of them had gone inside. Cautiously, he slipped through the door ready to intervene on his friend's behalf, wondering what had angered the Pharaoh so much, but the next words that floated to him stopped his plan.

"Tell me why you have summoned Marik." The Pharaoh's calm commanding voice inquired.

"Wha-? I-I honestly don't know what you-"

"Don't presume me to be a fool, hry-pr." There was shuffling and a small _thump_ followed by a sharp intake of breath. Yuugi brought his hand to his mouth, a sense of repulsion forming in his throat. Quickly he rounded the corner, his large lavender eyes hard as he took in the scene before him.

It was as he expected; Malik was in the hold of the Pharaoh, pushed up against the wall by the young monarchs slight body, a mixture of fear and confusion warring on his face. The Pharaoh on the other hand, looked like his was about to set the building alight with just his eyes they burned so bright. His entire form was rigid, his face slipping from its usual calm mask to a ferocious snarl, probably the by-product of the red handprint on his face.

Without a second thought, Yuugi charged in, shooting a glare at both Malik and his other half, while grasping both their shoulders. "Enough! Haven't we had enough problems already?"

"He can't be back! He was only a thought form, an illusion of my own making." Malik struggled against the Pharaoh's hold, not paying Yuugi any attention. The blonde almost resembled a frightened horse as his hands tried to push away the firm grip the other had on him. "I destroyed him! He can't exist without me, and I swear, _he isn't in me!"_

"Lies." The Pharaoh snarled, pushing himself closer to the other, not leaving Yuugi any room to interfere.

"Other me, let him go! Can't you see he is terrified?" Yuugi gripped his other half's arm. Storms of fire turned to the younger one, the mask slowly being worked back in place. Noticing he had the Pharaoh's attention, Yuugi continued. "I mean if he had intentionally summoned Marik, don't you think his other side would have appeared by now?"

"He's there aibou, clinging to the blackness that remains in this child's mind waiting to gain strength again. I won't allow him to come out and hurt you again." His darker half replied through gritted teeth. Yuugi shook his head.

"At-Other me. Marik hasn't been around since Battle City. That was two years ago, and since then Malik has shown that he can be trusted, and in fact you did trust him. I remember you commenting on how much he had changed when we were going to your final resting place. Don't you remember?"

The storms rage deepened in colour as the Pharaoh reflected back to that moment. It was the truth; his other half had said it to Yuugi while his spirit casually floated behind the boy as they trekked through the sand to the final resting place only a few days ago. Had it really been that short of a time ago? It seemed almost a year ago with every crazy thing that had happened to them since.

"Opinions change, aibou. Fact remains that this boy cannot be trusted until the darkness is purged. I will not have _him_ out and about again, and will take every precaution to make it so."

Yuugi scrunched his brow, trying to figure why his other half was acting so freaked out. To others he would have just seemed down right pissed off, but Yuugi knew him better. The way his eyes widened slightly, the slight nibble on his lip and the twitching tendon in his neck were clear signs to Yuugi, but were usually easily assumed by others to be due to anger. Slowly, his eyes swept over his other half's face, taking in every detail, noting that the only thing out of place, aside from the red mark, were the big dark circles under his eyes. The younger boy thought back quickly to the plane ride, the way his other half's eyes smoldered at Malik from his seat, a look that hadn't been on his face when they got on the plane. Which meant…

"You saw him- Marik- didn't you? On the plane." The slight twitch of the others eye told him he was right. Yuugi's heart sped up, flashes of that duel running in front of his minds eye, reintroducing the terror he had felt then. Malik paled, and stopped squirming, turning to Yuugi then back to his captor. Taking a deep breath, the younger one pulled on a brave face for his friend, knowing how scared he was going to be.

"I- I mean. What has- He didn't…. he can't be… doesn't expect… Oh by all the glorious of Osiris." His hands fell down by his sides, his face becoming blank as all fight left him. The Pharaoh had to change his role from interrogator to rescuer quickly as the blonde slumped down, catching him just before he could hit the floor. "I don't understand. He was destroyed, consumed by his own game in the end. How could he have…" His voice went quiet as he turned in on himself, growing completely still against the Pharaoh. With surprising gentleness, he propped Malik against the wall, moving away so he could remain crouching down without his burden, his arms folding on his knees, as his fingers tangled themselves into his hair.

"Do you understand other me?" Yuugi questioned, brushing away a stray blonde lock that had fallen in front of his other half's face with a shaky hand. "Malik is more shocked than you."

The Pharaoh grabbed Yuugi's shaking hand with his own and squeezed it reassuringly. "I didn't know what else to do. Marik is connected to Malik; it would make sense for the mad man to latch back onto his former host."

Yuugi nodded, understanding why his other half acted the way he did, but there was still something bothering him. The mask the Pharaoh wore was usually impregnable; only Yuugi had ever gotten to see what was under it, and this time it had slipped so fast. It was just not like the Pharaoh to loose his cool so fast, even if Malik had slapped him across the face. Granted, Marik was a notorious mad man, but he was just that. A man. The two of them have faced down so many others who had commanded more terror than this one, and they had beaten them with no casualties.

So why was he so shaken?

Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. "Its not just Marik that has you spooked, is it?"

The Pharaoh huffed out a small chuckle. "I shouldn't bother trying to hide anything from you. You're stare is more powerful than the Sennen Key."

"Well yeah, you shouldn't. I would have thought you'd have learned that by now."

"I'm trying to protect you, aibou." He closed his eyes, and leaned into Yuugi. Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, the lighter half of the two put a consoling hand around the other's shoulder.

"I understand At- other me, but don't you realize that when you try to shield me, you end up making the problem worse for yourself?" The Pharaoh tried to intervene but Yuugi continued. "Think back to Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, hell even back to Dartz and his crew." He felt the Pharaoh wince at the mention of the Orichalcos, and Yuugi sighed. He knew that his other self still mentally beat himself up over that so it's a very sore spot, but Yuugi needed to get his point across before the Pharaoh sunk into a deep depression like he was known to, usually do when keeping something from Yuugi while still trying to keep him safe. "I'm not something to be wrapped up in bubble wrap. I can help."

"Bubble wrap? Hmm, tempting idea you have there."

"No! That's not what I'm trying to say!" Yuugi huffed in slight frustration.

The Pharaoh chuckled, shifting himself to be upright once again, fixing Yuugi with a gaze. "I know that you're a capable strategist, but if something were to happen to you - something that I could have prevented - I'd never forgive myself."

Yuugi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "The other me-"

"I mean it aibou. You have fixed my soul – a broken, twisted, vengeful shadow of a soul- and have sacrificed more than what was needed of you willingly." He picked up one of Yuugi's hands, his fingers running over the long healed scars. His hikari shuddered at the touch, and the Pharaoh's gaze softened. "You have done so much, maybe too much. I've put you in so much danger already –"

"Stop." Yuugi's eyes sparked, and the Pharaoh blinked at the sudden fierceness in the boy's voice. "You're just as important to me. More than you realize. Ever since I solved the puzzle, and set you free, you've changed my life for the better."

"No teenager should have to go through what you have."

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Sure there were rocky years, but it's the end result that counts. You can't reach true happiness without conquering your problems, At- other me. It's how we grow, and it's how we become who we are supposed to be." Yuugi smiled, twining his scarred fingers with the Pharaoh's smooth ones. "I'm complete."

The Pharaoh was speechless. He looked at Yuugi and turned his eyes down to their entwined hands, slouching his shoulders. There was more he wanted to say, the worlds swirled in his mind but he just couldn't. It was too soon. Plus, the Pharaoh would be leaving his life for better or for worse when his jewel dies. No point in making it harder than it needed to be. So Yuugi kept quite.

Silence hung in the air for minutes, until Malik came back to them. "He's really back, isn't he?"

The Pharaoh turned his downcast eyes to the blonde. "That would appear to be the case."

"What does he want?"

"That I cannot say, but what I do know is what he told me might hold water."

Malik's eyed bulged a bit bigger. "What did he say?"

He shrugged. "A lot of nonsense really, but he did mention that he was not brought back by his own power. Someone dragged him out of his Hell."

Yuugi tilted his head. "Why would someone do that?"

Again, the Pharaoh shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Taking a soul from its resting place takes strong magic, and it's risky. Worst-case scenario is the soul becomes so twisted it turns into a monster, capable of possessing anyone."

"Maybe that was their plan. To try and take you down." Malik suggested.

"He also mentioned a Dark Game."

"WHAT?" The two teens cried together.

"It's very possible that one could happen at any moment. I am still here after all, which means the Games continue."

"Did he say anything about what it could be?"

The Pharaoh looked away. "He mentioned time crashing together."

"That's impossible! No one can do that, not even Dark Gamers. Right Yuugi?" Malik turned to his friend, blinking when he saw that his face had gone blank. "Yuugi?"

Yuugi gnawed on his lip. "I don't know Malik-kun. Think about it, At- the other me and Kaiba were able to see visions from the past, and we even traveled back in time to recover some of the Pharaoh's memories."

"That was an RPG though." Malik pointed out.

"Mm, but it still was time travel, there were just two Gamers who were controlling everything. It was on a small scale however, but we can't ignore the possibility of it happening full scale. What else did Marik say?"

The Pharaoh stood up from the floor, crossing his arms. "Just some nonsense about saving me."

"Saving you? How? Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Malik said, also standing up off the floor.

"My soul has been restless ever since what happened in my resting place. It wanders outside my body, where it goes I do not know. All I know is that both times it has happened, Marik has been there."

"It's happened twice now?" Yuugi jumped up as well, looking surprised at his other half. The Pharaoh closed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists.

"I don't understand how, but he has stopped any outside spirits from entering my body, and has returned my own self to where it belongs. I don't understand why he is doing this in the first place when he could so easily do it himself." The Pharaoh's eyebrow twitched in frustration. "He claimed that he doesn't want to partake in the Game that is to come, but I'm not buying it. What is to come, is said to be the Ultimate Game. Something with that big of title must appeal to Dark Gamers such as him." Yuugi continued to gnaw on his lip, his thoughts turning inwards.

"Let's say for a moment that Marik is telling the truth; he really doesn't want anything to do with the Game. That means he's not the one we should be worried about. It's whoever set him free in the first place."

Malik scrunched his brow. "I guess releasing him from his prison could upset the balance of Ma'at."

"I think I cause enough imbalance." The Pharaoh interjected. "I should've been put to rest thousands of years ago, yet here I stand. To release a soul as young as Marik wouldn't upset much compared to myself."

"What if it's just the start?" Yuugi asked.

"Aibou?"

"Think about it, great things take time. You can't just jump right to the hardest part of a game, you have to get introduced slowly, set the tempo right. What if he's just the first of many imbalances?"

"It does make sense, but what about the Pharaoh? He brings up a good point. Him staying in this world is a big imbalance."

Yuugi exchanged glances with his other half. Malik raised a good point. If someone wanted to create chaos, wouldn't they have kept the biggest source of darkness in the physical world? His line of thought stopped. Someone _did_ keep him here.

"You're right, it's risky for His Majesty to stay in the realm of the living, but it's a necessary risk." A new voice interjected making the three boys turn and face her. Beithwal leaned against the wall next to the door with a small smile on her face as she casually inspected her nails. "It's really entertaining listening to you girls gab in the bathroom like this. Everyone was wondering what was going on. My bet was on a threesome."

"Are you behind this Beri?" Yuugi asked calmly, ignoring her jokes. Beri's smile disappeared and looked up from her nails, one eyebrow raised.

"No, but I know who is and I've made plans to stop them."

"How long have you known about the Ultimate Game," the Pharaoh demanded coolly, jutting a hip out and leveling her with a glare. "If you're not the one who started it, who is." Beri winced slightly at the heated glare and looked away.

"It's another reason I had you stay. It's all interconnected; everything almost always is. This Game would have happened a lot faster if you had just been whisked away to the after life knowing only a little bit of yourself and no one would have been able to defeat the GameMaster without you. I did you all a favour keeping him here."

"Who is the GameMaster Beithwal?" Yuugi asked, adding his questionable look to the Pharaoh's arsenal. Beri sighed, her green eyes casting downwards.

"I can't tell you."

"Then you are behind it." The Pharaoh curled his fingers and darkness leapt up into his palms. Beri watched him with interest and stood upright.

"Listen, I would tell you if I could, but this is a personal issue. My hands and tongue are bound because it has to do with your past, Pharaoh. All I can say is think over everything that Marik said to you, even the most insignificant thing. He could have slipped up and given you a clue without realizing it."

"I have shared everything I can recall about my encounter with Marik."

"Are you sure about that? What about the first time? What happened then?"

Yuugi watched as the Pharaoh blinked, the heat from his eyes disappearing. Malik stood on the other side of the Pharaoh, careful to keep a comfortable distance between them.

"The other me?" The Pharaoh looked down, his brow scrunching, the darkness leaping up to ghost around his shoulders.

"That's impossible." The Pharaoh whispered, fists clenching at his sides. Yuugi put a tender hand on his shoulder, but even his presence could not calm his other self. Darkness nipped at Yuugi's fingers and he jumped back in surprise. Clenching his hand to his chest, the youngest of the group looked over at Beithwal only to see her reclining on the wall again, a regretful half smile on her face.

"Nothing is impossible anymore, Pharaoh." She stated quietly.

Malik blinked, exchanging quick glances with Yuugi, at as much a loss as he is. "What is impossible other me?"

The Pharaoh lifted his eyes, looking at Yuugi through a curtain of blonde bangs. A chill went down his spine. He's seen that look a hundred times; it was one of quite determination, and self-loathing. It spoke to Yuugi before the Pharaoh's words left his mouth.

"It's me. I'm the GameMaster."

AN: CLIFF HANGER. And also a chapter that has double the pages of almost all the other chapters. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long, but my sisters wedding is in a few weeks and I haven't finished her conte portrait /sobs.

I also apologize if it doesn't make sense. Again, it makes sense to me. If you need clarification let me know. I'll do what I can without spoiling anything. And sorry if grammer sucks, I might have gotten a bit excited in submitting this eh heh.

Review?


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